Necessity
by Tru Mel Meiko Mei Ling
Summary: Alternate Timeline. Reisi invites Suoh over one lonely Sunday. The only stipulation is to not stay until morning.
1. Going Out

_**Necessity **_

Suoh x Reisi

Chapter 1

The polished wood gave a weathered creak beneath each heavy boot-step. A chain, amongst other metallic jewelery jangled in tune with every delayed footfall as the red king himself trudged down the 2nd floor hallway. Hands in his pockets and dreadful boredom occupying his expression, Mikoto took his time approaching the first level of the bar Homra. Amazingly, he was able to get out of bed without fully waking Anna. The preadolescent strain often stayed at his side as an attached daughter would; but this morning, she chose to stay curled up in the warm spot he left behind. Suoh didn't mind her company, in its abundance, however there were many times when he just wanted to leave the bar and have time to himself. Even if his outings may have dealt with him attending another bar altogether, while he was a beloved and much sought after king and comrade, there were moments when a strong drink and a little privacy were all he asked for. And that was on his agenda for today.

At 7 am in the morning, it was a bit strange to hear him moving about so much. Izumo knew this better than anyone. Yet, each time his freeloading friend would show so much activity this early, he was either going out to roam about in solitude, have a drink someplace else away from him, or go visit a certain Scepter 4 individual. The latter wasn't as frequent as the first two, but more often than not, it ended up as the conclusion. The blonde bartender had never fully voiced his opinions towards Mikoto's behaviors involving the blue king, but he did get the point across to keep such affairs elsewhere and away from his eyes.

Somewhere between the 6th and last step, a lit cigarette found its way to Suoh's lips and his presence crossed Izumo's line of vision, "Going out for a drink this early, Mikoto?" the question was introduced without a glance to accompany it. Not wanting to be bombarded with some type of rant or scolding for something he wanted to do, Suoh walked past Izumo. A noncommittal grunt was his reply.

"It's not a good idea, you realize."

"It's not my fault my choices aren't all good ideas..." Mikoto dragged out in a gruff voice that was devoid of much passion. Izumo was used to dealing with his bristled friend in this popular mood of his, but at the same time, he wished Mikoto would actually hear him out. As if for that moment the two shared the same tuft of thought, Suoh paused in his steps. With his back to Izumo, he rolled his neck from shoulder to shoulder and leaned it back as if he had come to a solution, "You don't have to tell me. Keep this up and you're going to nag me to death."

The flicker of a smile touched Izumo's lips at the statement and he sighed, "Right right, Sorry, king," he mocked playfully, "Where's Anna?"

"In bed."

"Ah that's good. She's normally up by now."

Suoh groaned, displeased by the horrible attempt at small talk to dissuade him from departing, "We can finish this later. I'm leaving now..."

"...Mikoto...?"

"What..." he questioned flatly, his hand already on one of the doors.

"Come back before morning... okay?"

While the request seemed straight-forward enough, Mikoto knew it was Izumo's way of twisting what he really wanted to divulge. In other words, he didn't want Mikoto spending the night in the arms of a particular someone. While Izumo had long accepted that Mikoto will do whatever Mikoto wanted, he wanted to spend more time with his comrade as well. The blue king couldn't have all of him.

In response, Mikoto released a coarse sigh, "Is that all?"

"Yeah"

"See you," he waved before leaving through the threshold. After his retreat, Izumo chuckled weakly to himself as if he had been on the receiving end of a bad joke, "Can't make any promises, right, Mikoto?"

**OoO**

The roaming lion hadn't so much as walked a block from bar Homra before a sudden vibration reverberated in his pocket. He ignored the first few whirrs, but reluctantly picked up on the last ring. He released a puff of smoke before gracing the caller with his voice, "Hello..."

"Suoh?!" The awe on the other line belonged to the last person Mikoto would expect to get a call from this time of day. He actually found the surprise rather amusing, as he hadn't seen much of such a side from this individual in a long time. "What is it, Munakata? Shouldn't you be lecturing your lackeys on some mission briefing somewhere...?"

"...How low of you..." Reisi retorted; a tiny clinking sound came through in the background. Suoh assumed he was adjusting his glasses. A show of discomfort. Recovering swiftly, Reisi continued on, "I should have you know that I was not attempting to call you. I was looking for Awashima-kun's number and must have dialed yours by mistake."

"Ah... is that so?"

"Yes. ...It must be...!" he faltered slightly; his uncertainty was easily picked up on, "In any case, what are you doing awake so early?"

"That seems to be the question of the day, doesn't it..." Suoh drawled, uninterested. He then took a sip from his cigarette and formed a ring with the smoke. With another exhale, he added a dot in the center of it, making a sort of bulls-eye on a target, "So what if I am. Can't a guy go out for a drink whenever he wants?"

"Ahhhh, I see," Munakata understood, "It appears you wish to flee from your clansmen again."

"Heh. Says the guy with no subordinates as friends."

"That cheap blow will not effect me the same way it once did, Suoh."

"Then what are YOU doing so early, huh? Going to take your team to target practice?"

"I see you're in humored spirits today. Have you not payed attention to the calendar? Today is a Sunday. I have the day off from Scepter 4."

"And?"

"And... … what?"

"Let me guess. You woke up feeling lonely and wanted to ask around for someone to hang out with you?"

"...!" an annoyed sound cut through the conversation, indicating that Suoh had hit the nail right on the head. But, he decided to play dumb and see what extravagant lie Reisi would use in his defense, "Or am I wrong?"

"Absolutely wrong. I merely wanted to ask Awashima-kun for an update on a recent report."

Suoh snickered, "On a Sunday?"

"On a Sunday," Munakata clarified.

"Hahaha..."

"Are you... laughing at me?"

"Not really...haha"

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Munakata..." Suoh began, breaking the name suavely into 4 morsels, "if you want some company, all you have to do is ask. It wasn't like I had anything to do today anyway. That is, if you don't mind having me..." His words stopped shy of an ending, knowing it could have a deeper insinuation that way. Judging by their touch and go past, he knew Reisi wouldn't let loose ends go untied.

"Fine then. Drop by whenever you like."

"Ok. I'll be on my way now then..."

"Suoh... are you choosing me over bourbon?"

"There's some booze at your place isn't there?"

"Yes...but-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Suoh..." Reisi's tone changed to one of more seriousness, "Do not stay until the next morning."

"Uh huh..." he shrugged, then ended the call.

**OoO**

A delicate hum drifted from Reisi, his baritone flexing in melody. As he moved about within his decorative dwelling, he found himself in high spirits for some reason. Usually, he would abhor being stuck at home—left to wallow in his own devices and toil with bouts of loneliness. In most cases, after a long and uneventful day at work, he would almost always migrate towards some location that contained many different people- faceless identities sharing a common action. A bar, a park, a carnival, almost any place that, for him, masqueraded as a festive gathering ground for the broken and the left behind. He would desperately crave the contact of others, to relate with them and to talk with them. Being immersed in the vicinity so many others enjoying healthy social lives almost robbed him of as much of the bitter contentment as it offered. He wanted to be approached casually like anyone else, to show more sides of his personality that his position and work would have little room for. From being surrounded by so many attending to their routine lives gave him a false sense of "fitting in" so to speak; he wanted to form bonds; he wanted to make many friends. But because of his stature and status as king, most potential candidates for such wished to limit their interactions with him out of fear and misunderstanding. He had accepted it as the way things were just to be; his outer appearance may tend to suggest he was fine with it; internally, he was cracking. Awashima Seri was one of the few he had allowed himself to get close to, but while he considered her a colleague, there was still a thin line of limitations between them. Stranger still, while he was certain she wanted him to cross that line, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

His attraction lied within the being of someone far wilder and primitively vulgar. And with that person coming over to visit, Reisi had no one to blame but himself for tempering those emotions into song. As he finished setting a table with tea bowls and a pot of freshly brewed green tea, a knock rattled his front door.

"Yes! Who is it?" Reisi called, already making his way to the entrance on socked feet.

"Opun ahp. You ngow ish me," came Suoh's muffled reply as if something were in his mouth. A loud slurp soon followed after, causing Reisi to pause with his hand on the knob for a good few seconds. Cautiously, he creaked the door ajar and peered directly into his company's eyes. Curiosity painted Suoh's features momentarily while he was being scrutinized. Unconsciously, he gave another wet, vulgar sound from the ice cream pop between his lips. Reisi made immediate note of this, but his vision did not waver. Suoh blinked. Then he sighed and tugged the treat from his mouth. A soft pop sparked from the action, conjuring a smirk on Suoh and a frown for Reisi. His expression deepened even more when that suggestive cretin had the audacity to offer the frozen dessert to him.

"Want some?"

"I would advise you to refrain from shoving such a vulgar thing in my face, Suoh. I can only deal with one at a time," Reisi taunted with a cold half-smile. The curve to his lips mirrored along Suoh's and the rugged man chuckled, "Ah. Whoops." The response was very flaccid and meant absolutely nothing; it was more so a sound filling a spot of silence, "Suit yourself," he shrugged. He then turned his head to a profile and shoved the ice cream back in his mouth. Reisi's eyes contracted at this. While it was very subtle, he clearly noticed the tip of Suoh's tongue roll over the treat's circumference before his lips imprisoned it. And Mikoto knew Munakata caught it.

"Are goo going gto invite me in …? Moonagatda..."he teased, knowing his other wasn't a fan of mispronunciations on purpose—especially not his name. Feeling challenged, Reisi smirked darkly and opened the door. As the décor of the place, and Reisi's full form, embraced his eyes, Suoh only had a second to appreciate it before he was grabbed by the shirt and yanked towards his attractive obstacle. With their noses touching, an almost playful expression dashed with mischief dotted Reisi's features. Suoh didn't bother to interrupt. He was too amused to see where things could lead or end up. He felt Reisi near a tad closer then watched him tilt his head. His tongue snuck out to sample the cream. Once he determined the flavor, his mouth opened to speak, "I never said no, Suoh," he breathed; his slender fingers took hold of the treat's stem and he pulled it from Mikoto's mouth to slide it into his own. He then turned on his heels and returned into the room.

Alone, the red king feigned annoyance and made a childish sound, "I was gonna eat that, you know..."

"Sorry," Munakata replied in a tone starkly opposite of what one would normally have for such a word and added a wink to go with it. "Hmph..." Suoh grinned. If he could say one thing about his time spent with Munakata, it was never dull. He may have been a repellent and irritating guy, especially from his absurdly polite way of speech, but his presence was like a breath of fresh air to Mikoto. Instantly, he felt relaxed and followed Reisi into his abode.

**OoO**

A/N- gonna stop it here for now. I thought of just writing out the entire story idea as a one-shot and then post that but, it would end up being near 20 pages or more. So! To not discourage new fic readers, I decided to make this story a chapter one instead.

I wanna go deep into their relationship and dig out more character trait-things. Stuff. You know. The both of them have immature tendencies. Suoh more than Moona but he's certainly up there. He's a silly somebody (I think anyway). Very goofy and very teasing(Seri doesn't seem to like it, nor does Fushimi. Looks like Suoh's the only one it's effective on). We just haven't seen much of it towards other chars yet...if we ever will now...

I think this story is silly already, but that's always my opinion of my own stuff -_-

THANK YOU SHAKIRA AND DJ REMY FOR THE BOMBAY TRIBAL MIX OF HIPS DON'T LIE. IT HAS BEEN ON LOOP FOR THESE TWO. GAWD. AS IF HAVING "DID IT AGAIN" ON LOOP (for Patroklos x Z.W.E.I. )WASN'T ENOUGH.

Special thanx to SleepyShuffle and Eniell!

-Mel


	2. Old Feelings

_**A/N: Thar be angst afoot! And some silliness...**_

_**Necessity**_

Chapter 2

**OoO**

"Huh...?" Perplexity settled across Suoh's visage as he became submerged in the customs and lifestyles Reisi had laid about in physical manifestations. For a moment, Suoh felt as if he had transcended through a portal somewhere upon entering the room. It had been a long time since he last visited this place. Seeing it now, in the morning, was like a whole new entity. Kakejiku(掛け軸), bamboo poles, the strong aroma of matcha (抹茶), and other native items made an immediate impression on Suoh first and foremost. Straight ahead was a rather small kitchen with a pile of only a few uncleaned dishes. Just over an adjacent counter, a rack of bottled alcohol sat against the wall. Reisi's decorative interest hadn't seemed to miss something that minuscule either; even its practical structure had some sort of vineyard-inspired design that Suoh didn't care much for. His brow creased more than usual at the display and he sent his eyes elsewhere. To the far right was a door that Suoh remembered led to the bathroom. Off to the west side of the room was the entryway to Reisi's bedroom. Close to its frame was a cozy looking sofa with a large flat-screen television and two stands stacked with DVDs before it. It almost looked out of place in contrast to the nativity of almost everything else. Soon, Suoh's eyes fell into step with his host's movements in whichever location he went. As the eloquent man turned his back to Mikoto in order to address a matter in the kitchen sink, it was then taken into account that Reisi was swathed in a lightly hued yukata.

Was that for the special occasion of company, or did he truly just want to wear one? Well, it was rather hot outside. As his mind aimlessly pondered through the speculations, Suoh's gaze trickled down to Reisi's waist; it lingered there briefly before daring a bit lower. His hands clenched in his pockets. When had he last grasped that backside of his? How long had it been since his fingers ached to run through that dark hair or entwine within Reisi's own? What length of time had been wedged between the two of them in which they spent their last breaths before slumber, shouting the other's name?

"..._Reisi_..." The word was birthed in a whisper, too hushed for any ears to hear. Although the one's name that was spoken thought he heard something odd, he didn't catch its actuality, "Did you say something, Suoh?" he asked, finishing his task and turning to his audience.

"Nothing," he lied. His droll tone was of natural mastery. He silently studied Reisi's face as he simply gave the benefit of the doubt and discarded the situation. After drying his hands on a towel, the cool-headed male practically floated over to the smaller table where he had set the tea and sat on on the floor. While Suoh chose to wade in speechlessness, Reisi poured himself a cup, "Please remove your shoes," he reminded.

"...Ah...yeah..." Suoh uttered, absentmindedly doing just as requested. As he did, Reisi's eyes feasted upon him. That Suoh was one of a kind. He was almost like a big kid with too much temptation set in front of him. But that was all right. The blue king also felt burdened with such similarities. Yet, he believed that it was his duty to keep his protests mum towards it and to just bear them. Calmly; the exact opposite of Suoh. Unknown to even Reisi himself, a warm expression tinged his features momentarily before a more practiced one took its place, "Would you like some tea, Suoh?"

"Nah. I would **like** my ice cream back," he replied, utilizing Reisi's polite mannerism to mock him.

"I ate it," came the nonchalant response. And that was true. While Suoh's attention was hovering all over the room earlier, Reisi had slid the ice cream pop to the back of his throat and swallowed it whole, save for the stick. That was disposed of in the waste-bin in the kitchen. Because Suoh did not see the method used, the absence of his snack made him snort, "That was fast."

"I have my ways," Munakata quipped, with a light upwards curve to his lips and lowered lids. His lashes feathered over his cheeks, casting his appearance in dualities of being trustworthy and its opposite. Then slowly, his violet eyes revealed themselves, "Or have you forgotten? In any case, what would you like to do?"

The vague context of the inquiry had Suoh lifting a lazy arm to scratch the back of his head. Of course, he didn't do this the way a person normally would. His hip jutted slightly to one side and he turned his neck in a way a model may have. Noticing this, Reisi's expression became one of frustration as he couldn't quite figure out Suoh's current action. 'Is he striking a pose in front of me?'

"Ahhh... ...mmn... from the looks of things, I'm interrupting something," he expressed with uncertainty, glancing Munakata's way.

"Hmm?" Reisi looked up from taking a sip of his tea. He eyed Suoh calculatingly, "What do you mean?"

"You practically had a ceremony in here without me," he joked in a flat tone while gesturing with an impassive arm sweep. He then pocketed his hands and cocked his head in direction of the bedroom, "Who else is here with you?"

"No one," Reisi replied quickly, closing his eyes; a finger went to his glasses to calibrate them. Such was a conditioned method of hiding certain emotions; a type of barricade. It was a reflex that worked best on colleagues and subordinates and those who took this man at face value only. Suoh, however, was none of those and could see straight through such behaviors regardless of if Reisi wore those things or not. Suoh could easily tell when his other was embarrassed, yet he played along anyway, "Ah.. is that so?"

Reisi must have been quite expectant to see him. Suoh couldn't blame him, he supposed. The guy didn't really have anyone else carrying the title of "friend".

"Does it bother you...? If it does, I can change clothes," Reisi admitted. After quickly finishing his tea, he pushed himself to his feet. He glanced in his guest's direction but Suoh's attention was off to another part of the room, silently recalling memories. Reisi's features swiftly became unreadable and his body tensed. He wanted to avoid at all costs the very thoughts that must have been channeling through Mikoto's head. Feeling a glare nearly burning through him, Suoh looked up at Reisi and offered a faint smile the other knew better than to trust, "...You don't have to..."

"I think I do," Reisi finalized, choosing to ignore the evidence of longing in Suoh's voice, "I'll return shortly. Make yourself comfortable."

"Uh huh..."

Instinctively, a finger went to the center of his spectacles and Reisi made a beeline for his bedroom. The moment he closed the door, his body unconsciously acted on its own and began to strip the cloth from his body. As his limbs acted on auto-pilot, his mind swam with thoughts and recollections that should have remained in the distance they dared to rise from. How many months had it been? Years? The last instance Suoh was here in his place was- well it was a haze.

No, that's what Reisi wanted to pretend it was. He remembered every detail to its finest fragment, despite him being very drunk at the time. His need, his rage, his sorrows—inflicted all upon Suoh in ways only the two of them would understand and accept together. One knew what the other endured and took them into himself—all of it; all of him. Every hungered kiss, each searing bite, all swirls of emotion and touch were confined to memory and inflamed about the skin like a tattoo. Afterward, Reisi's bedroom was a complete mess and in disarray. Both men had surrendered and succeeded in a realm they would dare not embark with someone else. For Reisi, more than Suoh, it was an event that must never be forgotten and that absolutely could not happen again. Never. He lost track of himself; his self control had slipped into the palms of another who guided his hands and aided his thrusts.

Never. Again.

Their first time held no method, only movements and responses. It happened in their earlier days of being new kings. Munakata was drunk but still retained his own will over his actions. Mikoto just **wanted**. It was an complete mistake. Yet in the days that followed, they both still sought after the other's company.

The second time was far worse than the first, but not in negative context; for some reason possibly blinded out of need and lust, they united in bar Homra. Granted, while the others were away, a certain barkeep found out anyhow. Even though Izumo was on tolerant terms with Munakata already through his own means and from Seri's praise of him, he forbade a similar occurrence to ever take place there again. That was understandable, of course. The bar was his; and Mikoto was his friend first.

Thrice was interrupted in light of an emergency.

The fourth was the most frenzied and the closest to endearing as they had ever physically explored, despite how anguished Munakata had been. He was horribly lonely that night when Suoh happened upon him at the same bar. How sad was it that the only one he could truly consider as a dear friend "hated" him due to a past opinion they both disagreed on? Munakata was very drunk; Suoh walked him home; he didn't return to Homra until afternoon the next day; Reisi's bedroom, and his better judgment, were in dissonance. It was from that instance onward when he had convinced himself that he and Suoh would never have such flighty sex again. Not only did it obstruct their roles as kings, but their "relationship" lacked stability. Being the other's fling seemed to have only worked in younger days. They couldn't keep getting mixed up in the other like this forever. A conclusion needed to be issued at some point.

This wasn't fair to Suoh anyway; it wasn't fair to himself. Yet, no matter how much he would rather put distance between them, Reisi found Suoh's existence far too fascinating. Ironically, just as he had once griped at being displeased towards the red king's behaviors and actions, he was as equally drawn to it and the man of whom exhibited them. He was attracted to him and knew it wouldn't be long before he completely fell for him. He hated to even admit it in musing, but he felt as if he needed Suoh and that soured Reisi tremendously. Who was he to burden another with his needs? He had to find the answers himself, for his method was true and pure.

...That's what he kept telling himself anyway. Such things were better suited as a moral booster in battle-pretty words with many a casualty tied to it.

Speaking of battles, in his absentmindedness, he had dressed himself in 2 different types of shirts and was in the process of fastening a third pair of pants. In an elegant tongue, he made the dirtiest of swears sound poetic from betwixt his lips. He was behaving foolishly while his guest was left alone. Knowing Suoh, he had gotten himself into something he should not have. With a tiresome sigh, Reisi shook his head. He then properly clothed himself in a shirt and pair of pants with a simple belt and exited the room. Any and all troubled thoughts remained with the clothing left behind.

"Suoh...?" Reisi called gingerly, poking his head from the doorway to look for his other. His breath then hitched in his throat upon pinpointing him immediately in front of the liquor rack. He hadn't been gone 10 minutes and already his stash had been tampered with! "SUOH!"

"Mm?" the culprit gazed haplessly over at Reisi while holding a bottle of opened bourbon in one hand and uncorked sake in the other. Caught red-handed, he gave a devilish grin that carried as much allure as it did childishness, "Heh heh..."

"And who exactly gave you permission to raid my alcohol?"

"You're lookin' at 'im..."

"Suoh Mikoto, it is too early for a drink! Especially on an empty stomach! Do you WANT to puke all over the place? I will personally have to gag you should it come to that," Reisi warned with narrowing eyes. As to how serious he really was on his threat was anyone's guess.

In fake defense, Suoh shrugged and formed an expression that could be surmised as perilous as well as charming, "What? I ate before I had any," One brow arched and he tilted his head; his voice dropped huskily, "But then you went and stole my snack..."

"You need more than ice cream on your stomach before you decide to drink yourself into abandon!"

"Mmm...but it was milk," Suoh continued, referring to the ice cream. His lackadaisical way of speech made every point he attempted to make cocooned with gravelly dubiousness, however, "Milk coats the stomach. I wanted a drink," To emphasize his point, he took a long swig from one of the bottles. Amongst the sound of the liquid sloshing and Suoh's gulps, something in the room snapped. Supposedly, it was Reisi's patience. His socked feet stomped over the carpet and he snatched one of the items from Suoh, "Show some restraint!"

"I do what I want. You know that, Munakata. If you have a problem with it, tell me to leave," he added with a smirk that dared a response. When none was given, he purposely took another drink to irate Reisi even further. He had already heard enough grousing about his drinking habits from Izumo. He didn't need it from Reisi too.

While noisily guzzling the liquor from its container, he eyed the other man in front of him. Chilled orchid remained fixated on Suoh, not showing any semblance of emotion. While such a display could have been a test or provocation, it was certainly a mood-killer. It was a reaction, but not one that was very entertaining. A little annoyed by the lack of retaliation, Suoh slowed in his drinking and rested the other bottle atop the kitchen counter, "...Hey..."

"..."

"...Ah...?"

"You still...will not heed my warning, will you?"

"Huh...? Oh...to not drink this so early, right?"

"Yes."

"Nope."

"In that case..." Reisi trailed off, lowering his head in a way that lured the ceiling lights to reflect from his lenses.

"...Hmmn...?" Mikoto blinked, then took another drink.

Without a word, Munakata snatched the liquor out of Suoh's hands and away from his lips to force it between his own. In 6 large gulps, Reisi had downed the entire bottle of sake. The burst of a heavy exhale followed after as reaction to the taste as well to catch his breath. Suoh said nothing for a moment, taking in the sight of a panting Munakata with awe and entertainment, "Ohh?"

"There...!" Munakata heaved, "You see?! Haa...haaa..." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before slamming the bottle down atop the counter, next to the bourbon, "You... have been ...stopped."

"Hey... You didn't have to go and drink the whole thing, Munakata...! I would have shared...!" Suoh chortled in partial disbelief at what he had just witnessed.

"If... there... is nothing...for you to drink... you can't...drink it...! Suoh!" Reisi practically wheezed.

"Tch...what kind of logic is that...?! To get me to **not** drink any, you decide to drink it all before me? How stupid."

"Do not test me, Suoh! And you're wrong. I'm only doing this for your sake so you may see what drinking on an empty stomach will do to you!"

Of course, they both knew he was lying. Reisi was able to hide many things, but a lie was far from one of them. However, it was amusing and that was something Suoh wanted more of, "I'd be careful if I were you...You're a lightweight when it comes to drinking, aren't you?"

He certainly was, in comparison to Suoh. But, like that of a child, Munakata absolutely hated to lose and appear weaker than someone else if he could help it. When met with a challenge, he felt he had to carry it through to the very end with himself as the victor. When the situation dealt with Suoh as its centerpiece, the urge increased a hundredfold. In that respect, he and Suoh both shared an equivalent trait.

Recklessness.

"Is this not enough of a lesson for you?"

"Hey, Munakata, watch this!" Suoh chortled, grabbing up the bottle of whiskey and draining it in a matter of seconds. There were four very loud, and very large, gulps; not a drop was wasted. And throughout it all, Reisi glared dirks and daggers at him.

"Top...that..." Mikoto breathed, his deep voice reveling with raspy taunting and sensual dare. Instantly, Reisi's eyes contracted and a wicked smirk made its crooked way to his lips. The ordeal that had just been unveiled provoked them both in the same language. A gauntlet had been thrown and backing out had become invalid. Understanding perfectly, Suoh returned the expression with an impish one of his own. He watched in earnest as Reisi smoothly reached for another bottle of alcohol from the rack behind him. There was a transient moment of contact, cloth to skin, as Reisi's arm brushed against Suoh's while retracting the bottle. Both men's eyes were transfixed within the others, their faces mere centimeters apart. In the same measure of span that it happened, Reisi stepped back and doomed the beverage to the same fate as the last.

Enticement brewed within the fiery royal and a sensual growl floated from him. Crassly, his tongue rimmed his lips as he laughed, "Now it's gotten interesting!"

**OoO**

-Japanese-

Kakejiku- hanging scrolls

Matcha/maccha- finely powered green tea

A/N- Why the crap am I still writing this ridiculous story...?! *kicks it*

This chapter was going to be a bit longer but pfffft. From the way things are going, the smex may come around in the 4th chapter or so. Not that it really matters =3

Mikoto is absolutely toxic to Moona, but he still wants more of it.

-Mel


	3. Black Cats

_**A/N: There is homage paid to a part of episode 13 in this, so you may get some feels.**_

_**A/N: I felt this chapter was so precious... but I've reread it so many times, I'm tired of looking at it now haha. I hope it's able to be read and understood. I got really carried away with the English language in this one...haha...**_

**OoO**

Necessity

Chapter 3

**OoO**

For nearly half an hour the two of them had gone back and forth like adolescents, challenging themselves to binge-drink more than the other. Had they not been kings and had a higher endurance for things, they would not have lasted 3 minutes with such reckless behaviors. At its conclusion, and after all of Munakata's alcohol had been eradicated between them, both regals exhausted themselves and ended up resting together like long lost lovers on the sofa. A silken clump of ebony locks splayed against Suoh's chest as Reisi's heavy head laid lazily against it. One hand laid limply atop the red-head's lap while his violet eyes played about the large TV in front of them. Suoh's arm coiled loosely around Reisi's shoulders as he sat crossed legged with his back to the cushions and small couch pillows. Such positioning was odd for them considering how natural it would have been, and more sense it would have made, if they actually were a couple. Nonetheless, neither one of them raised a complaint, tolerating the other's company while their minds calmed and their stomachs settled. The pair spent the next hour and a half watching some sappy love flick that Reisi's reasoning for having was disguised as being a movie that Seri heavily insisted he borrow. It obtained much respect and admiration from him and he had viewed it many times. And as always, even while intoxicated, the film still moved him to tears like a teenage girl watching an angst-heavy soap opera.

"Are you crying, Munakata?" Suoh's raspy question earned an immediate snappy response.

"Shut up. Of course not." Amazingly, the drunken man was able to keep his words properly threaded together for the moment. This amused Suoh as much as the response he was given; he laughed lightly and tugged at his top, "My shirt is wet..."

"You must be sweating then."

"Aheh...I don't think that's very correct...Munakata..."

"Shut up, I said. This is my favorite part..." he countered, altering his positioning slightly so that he could view the screen more comfortably. Had anyone walked in and saw for themselves, they would have sworn Munakata was snuggling against the other male. Suoh either didn't realize or didn't choose to, and took notice of what was just spoken, "Ohh? So you **do** own this mov-"

"My favorite part! I said it was my favorite, not my **most** favoriteSuohhh..." Munakata dumbly slurred together in nonsensical gibberish that fluctuated in uneven pitches, "Such a terriblelistneryouare. AndItoldyouImborrowingit. Sostoptalkingtome."

Clearly, his wits were currently lacking. Not even Munakata could keep up a front under the influence of alcohol for long. Or perhaps that along with being held by his other had something more to do with it? Either way, him not monitoring all that he did was something new. Suoh peered down at the male in his arms with a cross of curiosity and dubiousness. What could he say to gibberish?

"Uh... is that so?..." he hesitantly uttered lower than intended. He began to feel a bit out of place from not being drunk enough to speak the same "language". It was then that a sudden muddled thought trespassed through his mind.

What was he doing here watching this movie and why wasn't Munakata naked?

To judge past the sheer vulgarity of such a topic, whenever the two of them met someplace private, the end result was them tangled in the sheets side by side. Or if not that, at least one of them would provide a very well-received "service". Today was the first time they had been so close and not even hinted at unclothing the other. This fact didn't really bother Mikoto, but it was certainly a quaint occurrence. Another uncommon trait was the nature of how near they were. He was more casual towards it but Reisi's behaviors let more seep through his mask of indifference than usual. He was practically embracing Suoh. Again, not that he minded; it was just apparent. He had only seen the aloof combatant this vulnerable between dusk and sunrise. He should have known that the alcohol would have loosened him up this much. This situation could have been taken advantage of in many manipulative ways. Suoh also could have announced his leave, gotten up and left Munakata in an intoxicated, brooding heap. But instead, he chose to content himself being humorously lied to by the absurd man in his arms. Maybe the entertainment of dealing with such a complicated individual was more rewarding to Mikoto he ever let on?

And speaking of entertainment, just what was this stupid movie about anyway? Munakata was immensely into it while all it was good for to Suoh was nearly putting him to sleep. The only part that garnered any semblance of attention from him was a tragic scene where the lead had to kill their lover in order to save millions- choosing the lives of many over that of one. The last words spared were for their daughter. That particular instance made Suoh stare unblinkingly at the screen until the lover finally died. The one left behind carried the burden of returning to the ones they saved with loneliness as their victory. That scene actually brought a chill to his heart and his brows knitted in a cringe.

Incidentally, he felt another moist patch start to spread on his shirt, causing his necklace's tassles to stick to his skin, and he glanced down, "Munakata..."

There was a soft and quick sniffle before the sonorous voice presented its denial, "I'm not crying! I am definitely not crying!"

"Look at me then..." Suoh coaxed, gently raking his fingers through Reisi's hair. In doing so, a flurry of memories spurred from such a simple action. The last time his hand lingered there, Reisi was on his knees, grinning up at him while easing a thick mouthful down his throat. The sheer thought forced Suoh to reposition himself slightly, raising Munakata's body along with him in the process. Despite the jostling, Reisi still delivered his decisive answer,"No."

"Why not?"

"The movie isnot overyet..." he partially tripped over his words again, nuzzling his cheek against the fabric of Suoh's shirt without fully realizing.

"You've obviously seen it a million-"

"IsaidnoIrefuuuuuuse..."

"...Ahh..." Suoh sighed. There was no point in pressing matters and he didn't feel like getting up from his spot. He couldn't exactly explain why, but in this moment, he was at peace and was happy. Eventually, he allowed his eyes to shut and simply relaxed. After a short while, his ears picked up what sounded like a song fitting for the ending credits and another flicker of a sniffle.

"Mm?"

"...Suoh..." Reisi murmured through unmoving lips; his arms encircled the other tightly in a drunken hug. "Nnnmmmmmnnn Suoh..."

"What now..." was the terse reply. Glad the movie was finally over, Suoh opened one eye and peeked down at the man who was practically clinging to him There was a piece of stillness and silence for a moment, before Munakata's elaborate hairstyle began to move. Slowly, the blue king pushed himself up to a sit: one leg curled beneath him while the other dangled over the sofa's edge. Through misted glasses, he squinted at Mikoto, "You're warm.. Too warm. ...Always too warm...!"

"Ahh...and that's where all this 'sweat' came from right?" Suoh teased with a grin, pointing to his tear-soaked top. Then, his expression altered to a more serious one, "You look awful... Sound pretty bad, too."

"Haha...Nonsense, I'm fine..." Munakata attempted a halfhearted smile that wavered at the corners. His vision then dropped to his hands atop the cushion and he sighed. There was no point in keeping up a denying charade with Suoh around, "...Actually, I feel quite awful, yes. But then, what else is to be expected when you down several bottles of alcohol in a matter of seconds..." he confessed in a shaky voice with the broken attempts of a smirk. Had he not possessed the amount of control that he did, he would have regurgitated those words all over himself just then. Why was he even thinking about it? His head swam in far too much pain to be engaging in anything other than breathing. And shallow breathing, at that. But, of course, he was too proud to let that show.

Suoh scoffed in disbelief, "YOU were the one who felt the need to outdo me, drinking every bottle in sight so I couldn't! Whose bright idea was that, huh!?"

"That would be mine," Reisi smiled weakly, still looking down.

"... You could have really hurt yourself, you know..."

"So could you," he looked up.

"How sweet of you to care," Suoh jeered in monotomy, adverting his gaze. He didn't show it, but he actually did appreciate the concern, "Never do that with me again."

"You're chastising me?! Ugh..." Munakata groaned throatily and dropped his head in his hand. The migraine he caused was becoming a little to much to handle at the moment. Mikoto's eyes trailed over to him for a moment. He lifted a hand and patted him a little heavily on the back. It was to console him, albeit a bit reluctantly. By the 3rd pat, Reisi grasped Suoh's bangled wrist to stop him, "Enough of that. Please. Any more and I'm going to..." His statement was halted by throwing a hand over his mouth to keep any and all contents within his stomach. Almost curios to know what would happen, the thought to give Munakata one final hard slap on the back crossed Mikoto's mind. But the urge dissipated into an amused snort instead. Reisi continued, "Although, maybe I should...seeing how you're the reason as to why I'm in this condition," he murmured from behind his grasp; his eyes lingered in a nondescript section of the couch, "Had it not been for you not intending to down the majority of my alcohol so early-"

"Me?! I wasn't the one who drank a good 70% of it all! There were only two bottles that I was gonna drink from. You even took one of them from me! And then you drank far more than I did!" Suoh accused, and quite rightfully so.

"And why didn't you stop me?!" Reisi tossed back, lowering the hand from his mouth to prevent them from sounding muffled.

"You were paying for your lesson to me with one of your own. You've bitten your own tail. Deal with it."

"Correction. YOU deal with it as well."

"Huh?"

To empower his emphasis, Reisi pressed both palms against the cushions and leaned in closer to leer up at Suoh, "I said you will deal with it as well. You're as much to blame for getting me into this mess as I was to foolishly indulge in it," Then quickly, he changed the subject, "Why is it that I'm always the one to suffer misfortune because of you? How unlucky! Your lucky color should be black. An abyss! Tomorrow, I'll visit Homra to personally deliver several black cats to your room!"

"Huh?!" Mikoto repeated, "Black cats?"

"Indeed. You disagree with me, then? Very well. I shall double the number. And I will also set up large mirrors on each wall of your bedroom. Perhaps a few on the floor so that you will have no choice but to step on them and break them all!"

"..." Suoh sighed. He didn't even feel bothered enough to roll his eyes at Reisi's irrelevant blathering. It tended to occur most when Reisi was nervous, expectant of something or uneasy. Unfortunately, when around him alone, such a thing happened often.

Perhaps he really was unlucky.

"The next time you deem to visit here, I shall be more prepared. Yes. Perhaps I should offer you a basket packed with your favorite bourbon and include a mirror along with a good luck charm to balance your misfortune. I can be a nice guy like that sometimes, you know. Don't you agree?"

"I honestly have no idea what you're rambling about, Munakata."

Reisi blinked. Exasperated, he pressed his back against the sofa and closed his eyes, "Being with you causes me to do heedless things and I don't give them a second thought. You are a terrible influence to me," he forced out; traces of regret were embedded in his conformation from having to voice it.

"Uh huh," Suoh agreed, even though he wasn't sure how to take that. He glanced to the emotional fool next to him out the corner of his eye and wondered why he ever bothered to put up with him. Munakata seemed far too gifted at pushing others away when his heart cried out for the opposite. Maybe he was the unlucky one instead. Or, suppose they both were unfortunate? Did that mean they canceled the other's negativity out? Perhaps, they just two of the same? Were they so similar that their individualities blurred together to form a single entity?

More importantly, who cared?

"I did really do it for you, Suoh," Munakata confessed in a defeated voice. He almost sounded disappointed with himself for both his behaviors as well as his relinquished statement. Confused, Suoh stared blankly at the other male. Reisi's head was now lowered; his dark bangs camouflaged his downtrodden guise. His shoulders twitched. Suoh had seen these patterns far too much on his other, despite Munakata believing he could hide any emotion well. The fact was he could. But he hid them too well, to the point of the container he kept them hidden away in was overflowing and cracking at the sides.

With a heavy groan, Mikoto brought a hand to Reisi's arm and shook him lightly, "Cut it out, would you." It wasn't a request. A slight nod of Reisi's head indicated that he understood. A few words from Suoh was all it took to remedy his crumbling facade; and all he did was be who he was.

Did Reisi really need Suoh that much in his life?

Unknown to himself, his uncertainty resulted in him uttering his inquiry in a breathy whisper. Needless to say, Suoh heard all of it but had no immediate answer. The initial demeanor of surprise feathered over his features but that soon faded. Giving another hefty exhale, and actually rolling his eyes this time, he snaked an arm around Reisi's waist and pulled him to his chest, "...Weirdo..." he stated dryly.

"Barbarian," Reisi retorted flatly, playing down his true reaction to Suoh's sudden action.

"Loner."

"You did not say that to me, you neanderthal," Reisi deflected hotly, pushing away from Suoh just enough to glare at him properly, "So are you!"

"Hahaha. I suppose you got me there. Crybaby"

"Wh-! You will take that back!"

"Not a chance," Suoh taunted; a cunning smile drew across his lips.

"Do I have to make you?" The look was mimicked and somehow became more threatening.

"Who knows..." Suoh shrugged and strayed his eyes away.

"Idiot!" Reisi retaliated immaturely, smacking Mikoto upside his head with one of the sofa's pillows. A short gasp staggered from Suoh and he stared owlishly at his attacker with eyes full of confusion and an oval forming at his lips. Before he could prompt the very semblance of a question, Reisi's laughter rumbled between them and he threw his head back. Hearing such a lively sound from someone so reserved on the outside was certainly a sight, as well as a pleasure to the ears,"Looks like I've claimed a victory, Suoh!"

"... Yeah..." Mikoto agreed in a low tone that suggested he was fully open to the idea of launching the entire couch at Reisi and see who would be laughing then.

"And don't even think about hurling any of my furniture around. That would not make me very happy..."

"What makes you think I care about what makes you happy..."

To this, an appeased smile that rendered his features boyish embellished his visage. It was a genuine and heartfelt expression; had Mikoto been anyone different, he would have blushed. And if he didn't care, not only would he have not come over, but he wouldn't have bothered to sit through that movie just to be next to Reisi. Or maybe it was an excuse for something else? Playfully, Reisi gave Suoh's shoulder a poke with a finger, "I'll also have you know that film was very good. I may have been touched, but I absolutely was not crying!" His declaration was very convincing, but it only earned a snort from Suoh, "Hahahaha...you're really funny, Munakata..."

"...I know... It's about time someone else took notice!" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Haha... And I guess I'm the unlucky guy to deal with it, huh?"

"Yes. So it seems." The statement was enhanced with a candid smile no one other than Suoh was to ever witness.

Even though Reisi had changed the subject in a way, Suoh still remained comforted and pleased. If Reisi felt that he truly did need him, then he wouldn't mind staying like this a little longer. Aside from random bouts of sex, they never actually had any quiet or tender instances like this. The reason being for their awkward relationship was partially due to a decision of Reisi's. However, the both of them were at fault; yet, for now, Suoh could just rest and take this shared moment as it was delivered.

"Shall we watch another? Or perhaps a TV drama this time?" Already, Munakata had recovered from his previous sulking and was brightly asking questions, being social, "I would ask you which drama to choose from, but as I recall, you've only watched one, right?"

"Yeah... with Anna...she kept bugging me about it." She was the only 12 year old that he knew of that actually wanted to look at such a bothersome thing. It was only one episode due to the mention of "red" in its title. When she found out it had nothing to do with the color she lost interest, much to Mikoto's gratification.

"...Would you like to, then?" The question almost had an innocence to it that Munakata had only shown to the man before him in sparse bursts.

Maybe they were soul mates after all? As the speculation's possibilities bounced around in his head, he was unable to offer an answer. As a result, he ended up eying Reisi rather remotely. Not understanding the lack of countenance, Reisi narrowed his eyes in scrutiny and chose to alter the topic a bit,"What would you like, Suoh?"

"...? Ahhh..." he leaned against the cushions and rested the back of his head and arms atop the sofa, "I dunno. More booze..."

"What? More? Again? Suoh, you are going to rot your liver. Have you listened to nothing I've told you?!"

Aimlessly, Suoh's eyes scattered about the ceiling. Was he being scolded again? If it were that much of a problem, then maybe he could be a little more careful. But why? What did he really have to live for? He didn't deserve his title of king. He failed at protecting those who mattered most; Reisi could take care of himself—as could Izumo towards Anna and the others. He had outlived his usefulness hadn't he? What was wrong with rotting away? No one actually needed him. Reisi was mistaken, lured in by the moment.

Still, if going for another bottle or a glass was going to render him facing Reisi's wrath, he needed an alternative. As the musing trailed through his mind, his attention floated over to the lips that still reprimanded him. Reisi had drank a lot more than him, didn't he?

An annoyed groan resonated in Reisi's throat and he glanced away, "Why do I even bother... As if you would ever listen to me..." A deflated sigh descended from him and he slouched forward, placing folded arms atop his knees. Two fingers pinched the bridge of his nose in a futile attempt to dilute his annoyance. What in the world could he say to get through to this thick-headed buffoon? As his clouded brain attempted to piece together some sort of continuation, the air around him changed. He only had time to wince in surprise as he felt a solid warmth touch his cheek and lift his chin. Freely, he looked towards Mikoto, just to catch a glimpse of a sly smile about those lips before they found his. A sudden sound sparked from Reisi that he didn't recognize and his eyes shut instinctively. His pale lids soon fluttered open again as something hot and moist circled his lips before intruding between them. Violet then met saffron; as seconds alleviated, neither one of them witnessed who closed their eyes first. Maybe it could be attributed to the absence of sensual contact for so long, or perhaps the reason was because it was Suoh that Munakata allowed himself to be taken as eagerly into the kiss. In that minute, everything surrounding him dissipated and lost all meaning. Only he and Suoh existed. When the embrace ebbed, and a breadth of distance nestled between them, a dash of Reisi's common sense returned to him, "...Did you just kiss me," His declarative words were stained with breathlessness. Mikoto's eyes narrowed coolly at this; he felt his ego gain a rank. A sly smirk dusted his features and his voice steeped itself further in depth, "Maybe..."

An unreadable visage immediately appeared along Reisi's face, "I disapprove."

"Hmm?" Suoh curved a brow. Then his mouth arched downwards and he sent his gaze elsewhere. So Munakata didn't want to be kissed after all, huh? Involuntarily, the brash king's tongue eased out and laced over his lips from the thought regardless. Well, at least he got the taste of bourbon that he wanted. As his mind churned with the possibility of being turned down, he didn't catch sight of Reisi removing his spectacles and sheathing them into his shirt pocket. He did, however, feel the weight of the cushions shift and glanced in their direction. Like an eagle laying claim to its prey, one of Reisi's hand reached down to clutch a fistful of bright red locks and yank Suoh's head back. Strands of ebony whispered along Suoh's forehead, mingling ink with fire. In a tone rife with charm and command, Reisi's airy attestation flitted against Mikoto's lips, "I disapprove because I am going to kiss you first."

"Oh?" the other smirked, thoroughly enthralled and amused, "Then, kiss m-" The order was devoured, consumed by a rather hungered Reisi. He affirmed his dominance in deepening the embrace quickly; another hand roughly clawed at Suoh's hair while his tongue attacked and enslaved. As if second nature, Mikoto anchored his hands to Reisi's waist and pulled him on top of his lap, becoming straddled. Both men initiated a roll of the hips against each other, causing their clothed arousals to rub. Possessively, Suoh's palms crept lower and give what he cupped a squeeze; instinctively, he rose his haunches and forced Reisi's downwards for even more friction.

An avid moan leveled in Reisi's throat that conformed its shape into Suoh's name. After one last aggression of tongues, their mouths finally separated only to be tethered by thin strings of saliva. Both males licked the remnants away from their own lips as they caught their breath.

"You... reek of alcohol...Suoh..." Reisi panted, his amethysts sparkling in attainment and elation. Suoh chuckled, his coarse voice softening ardently. A gentle and precious smile tasted his lips, "So do you."

Once more, their mouths entwined and flavorful kisses thrived between them.

It truly had been far too long.

As they ended once more, their eyes entranced the other's briefly before Reisi hid his behind light lids. Softly, he unbound his grip from Suoh's hair and drew his arms around his torso. Only now, he had chosen to acknowledge the true effect the alcohol had on him and somnolence deluged him. His forehead rested atop Suoh's shoulder; his body rose slightly as he drank in a deep breath and relaxed as he released it. Regardless of what meaning their kiss held, whether it spurred from their closeness or from the sheer need of contact, it was something Reisi dearly craved and required.

And now that it had been satisfied, he finally let his body rest and began to be briskly lulled to sleep, "Mikoto..." The whisper darted out with the intensity and swiftness of a snake bite, "...I want us to ...have...a...chance..." The last of his request became a hushed hiss just above Suoh's heart and he spent the next handful of seconds pondering what Reisi could have meant. Was he trying to say they should be together? He thought after their last private meeting, it was decided that could never happen. Wanting an answer, he gave Reisi a slight nudge in the ribs with the heel of a palm, "...Hey..."

"...Miko..to..." The name became the shard of a whisper. Soft, steady breathing followed suit, indicating that Munakata was at last asleep.

"... ..." Stuck on the couch with a slumbering king on top of him, Suoh sighed and hooked his hands at Reisi's waist so that he was holding him. Then, he allowed his eyes to close.

Hours passed as both Suoh and Reisi rested within the other's arms. Drops of amber uncovered themselves in response to a faint melody wading into the air. After a moment, Suoh recognized the song as "Honoo no Katachi", his current ring-tone, and attempted to reach into his pants pocket to get it. But Munakata was in the way. He gently stripped the man from his body and laid him supine along the sofa. He then stood to his feet and shuffled off towards the bedroom to answer the call.

"Mikoto," Anna's ethereal voice tip-toed through the receiver. "It's 1815 hundred hours," she began in her small, cautious way of speaking, "Are you coming home for dinner?"

"Ah... what is it? Who's cooking tonight?" Amazingly, his terse vocabulary as well as his inflexions expanded vibrantly when conversing with her. There was a pause on her side, followed by a ruffle of clothing as if she were seeking out the answer from someplace else. A moment later, her haunting timbre fluttered in his ear, "Misaki. His fried rice."

"With pork and veggies, Anna!" Yata's boisterous voice echoed in the background. Then his tone lowered in bewilderment, "Wait, d-does Mikoto-san even like vegetables or pork?!"

"Mikoto will eat practically whatever's set in front of him," Izumo sniggered in the distance.

"Hnn,"A tiny smile curved Suoh's lips and he breathed a sound of amusement. Hearing this, Anna repeated her question. The moment he prepared to give his answer, the sounds of movement towards his location were heard; his vision remained positioned at the doorway until Munakata's slender form crossed it. Remnants of grogginess lingered about his face; his bangs were scattered every which way and his shirt was a bit ruffled. But none of that mattered. He had a hunch of whom Mikoto was on the phone with, and since he was her guardian, he should be with her. Quietly, Reisi walked up to Suoh and coiled a hand around his arm. Giving him a tug, he led him out of the bedroom and guided him towards the front door. The hint to take his leave was a glaring one.

"She needs you. Go home," Reisi mouthed.

"Mikoto?" Anna inquired genuinely.

"I'm sorry, Anna..." he hesitated, and glanced up to where Reisi was. The calmer man had already disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Suoh stood there, studying the structure of the wood in thought until he remembered that he was on the phone, "I'm still gonna be out. Tell the others I'll be missing dinner, tonight. Don't bother waiting up for me. I'll come back whenever I come back." He had a funny way of saying things sometimes, but he made sense.

The perceptive youth already knew of what his answer was to be and the reasoning behind it. Anna proved she understood with a light sound of approval, "O.K. Goodnight, Mikoto." And with that, she hung up. Afterward, Suoh pondered in silence for a moment. Why did she sound like she wouldn't see him again until the next morning? He hadn't planned on being out that long. Without thinking about it, he opened the front door. He imagined taking the first step out to leave when another contemplative musing assaulted him. It was a good thing he hadn't bothered to put his boots back on, yet. With a gravelly sigh, he shut the door. One hand in his pocket, he casually headed towards the bathroom and went inside.

**OoO**

Possible excerpt of the next chapter:

"_Ahh... no Prince Albert, today, Munakata?"_

_Reisi sighed; only he could make his annoyance a beautiful sight to behold, "I've told you, it's not a Prince Albert, it's an Apadravya."_

"_Hnn.. close enough."_

Quick note, if you don't know what either of those are, then please only look them up at your own risk. The images are a bit graphic, especially if you're not comfy with pics of...a guy's lower anatomy sticking out at you.

YARGH! Finally, another chapter done. I am SO FRIGGIN GLAD. It came out a little longer than expected thanks to Moona runnin off at the mouth and a lot of playful banter between the two of them. I didn't want Izumo to be mentioned again...but his name just keeps popping up! ...Anna was kind of a bonus and Yata was totally unexpected. (I guess he wanted to be in the story too)

Oh right, Suoh's ring-tone "Honoo no Katachi" is Anna's vocal theme. At first I wanted it to be "Requiem of Red" or "To Be With U!" for more episode 13 feels. But, having the theme of his "daughter" seemed more appropriate.

FEELS ANYWAY!

Oh yeah. On a different note, this chapter's secret word was "Lovers". The last 2 chapters' secret words were "Comfort". Not sure what the next chapter's one will be...

Silly Moona is silly lol (but he really is! he's a prankster, I know it! but so is Suoh...!)

Totsuka was avoided being mentioned for a reason, but that'll change in the next chapter.

Also, if there are any spelling errors or anything, please point them out in their specific locations to me( and yes, "monotomy" IS a word that is similar to "monotony" but i meant to use"monotomy"!).

Peace.

-Mel


	4. Forgiveness?

_**A/N: Sorry for the long chapter, guys! I ended up having to split it so you wouldn't read 20+ pages for the next few forming scenes. *cough***_

_**A/N: There are some parallels in this along with a back-story head-canon. So, you might get some feels.**_

_**A/N: Oh yeah... Lime and 'kind of sadistic Moona' alert!**_

**OoO**

Necessity

Chapter 4

After shutting the door behind him, Suoh's attention traveled about the entire room. Unlike the more Western influenced construct of the bathroom in Homra, this one was far more traditional. Both the floor and walls were tiled, which was to be expected for a completely wet area. There was a separate room for the toilet that he couldn't see; the bathtub, used only for soaking, was the largest object in the room. To the left of it were buckets and a makeshift shower head connected to the wall. The only noticeable personal touches were two body mirrors on either side of the smaller one above the sink, where Reisi stood. The tranquil man's shirt was unbuttoned halfway; a toothbrush was held in one hand; an unappeased look spattered his attractive features as he glared at his intruder. Suoh took the look as a beckon and a faint smirk touched his lips.

Focused entirely on Reisi, he began walking in his direction. But that didn't last long.

"-!"

The floor merged with the walls and ceiling in a blur of colors as the red king lost his footing and fell flat on his back. A tattered groan siphoned through grit teeth as he gathered his senses. What just happened? His gaze tapered lazily down to his socks. A glob of colored liquid smeared along the underside looked back at him. Putting two and two together, it would seem that a certain captain lined that particular part of the floor with some kind of slimy substance. From where he lay, Suoh couldn't decipher it as soap, toothpaste or something else. Whatever it was, he had just slipped on it. As he eyed it, he caught a glimpse of Munakata's socked feet turning in his direction. In silence, the other man strode over towards him in presumptuous and tailored steps. Had he been wearing his boots, the clacking of the soles would had left a foreboding echo. With much nonchalance, Suoh glanced up to Reisi as he approached him, both hands slipping back into his pockets as he lie there, "Huh...I guess you knew I was coming in here..."

Munakata, in contrary, remained tight-lipped allowing muteness to precede his answer. Once he neared closer, he lifted a foot and pressed it into Suoh's abdomen. He then leaned forward, putting a good amount of his body weight into it. Not even a flinch was given from the one beneath him; Suoh didn't even blink. He was used to being on the bottom, looking up. Studying the reaction, Reisi moved his foot an inch lower along Suoh's pelvis. His lips thinned to a line and his eyes contracted before he spoke; both voice and expression were brandished in floe, "I thought I instructed you to leave. What type of foolishness brought you into my bathroom while I was in it? Invading someone else's privacy is not a recommended practice, Suoh."

Blatant irony filled that last statement, coming from an individual who willingly broke that image often.

While pinned to the floor by his handsome blue king, Suoh's interests dallied someplace else, "...Ohhh... you're not drunk anymore...?"

"No I'm not. As if it would change anything..." Reisi's voice lowered, as did the position of his foot. Suoh decided to watch as a cashmere sock grazed over the rise in his pants. Suoh blinked in response; Seeing it as an opening, Reisi brought all of his body weight against the spot and leisurely rested an elbow above his knee. In some sort of sadistic taunt, he waved the toothbrush towards Suoh like it were an extension of his hand, "Oh...? What's this...? There's something going on down here..." he noted, pivoting his foot deeper along Suoh's confined endowment. A partial grunt was the response. Unsurprised by this, Munakata dug his toes in even further,"You're enjoying this. How disgusting. Look at how hard you've gotten..."

"...That's because you keep rubbing me, Munakata. ...Unless you stop, you're gonna turn me on..."

"Absolutely repulsive," Reisi sneered with an aloof smile. Blatantly, Suoh wasn't the only one finding pleasure in such activities. Yet, he felt that his nosy red king deserved to be punished for leisurely walking in on him. He leaned down, not disturbing his perch, and grabbed a handful of red locks. With a rough jerk of his hand, he forced Suoh to a sitting position. Although his intentions were to be serious and direct, he couldn't stop the twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"... Move your foot a little to the left..." Suoh uttered. The jest didn't appeal to Reisi at all and his expression turned stoic,"Why did you not leave?"

"Because I didn't want to. Whatta're you gonna do? Kick me out?"

"..."

With a quick movement of his arm Reisi launched Suoh across the room, resulting in him colliding against the wall closest to the tub. An amused sound drifted from him upon impact and the impending advancement of Reisi nearing towards him excited him even more. His earring shimmered a bright red, giving his emotion manifestation. The blue king did not share his amusement, however. It was much the opposite. Before reaching his disobedient other, Reisi tossed his toothbrush into the sink as he passed it. While he normally cherished and respected harmony and hated unruliness, discord seemed like a bad habit he only picked up in the presence of the brash man before him. Reisi's palm sounded against the wall behind Suoh with a taut slap. His elbow soon followed suit, his position cornering Suoh. His acute eyes pierced into Mikoto's; neither men dared to transpose their attentions. Knowing Reisi had a plethora of things to toss his way Suoh remained silent, with a cocky grin, and awaited the sonorous voice to act first.

"I have given you fair warning," Reisi began; his cryptic statement had gained its understanding several months previous but its meaning still held weight, "And it seems you have trouble listening and recollecting consequences."

"Nope," Suoh shrugged with a faint chuckle and shifted his weight against the wall. His hips moved forward slightly, but it was far enough to gain Reisi's notice. He instead feigned ignorance towards it and pressed closer to Suoh. There was no longer a line of space between their bodies. The gesture was more so part of Munakata's personality in contrast to being of a sensual nature, but in this case, it seemed to serve as both.

"Mmn...Munakata..." Mikoto purred. Then he laughed gingerly, completely in ebullience, "And here I thought you didn't want me..."

"I **don't**," he shot back frostily. Had he been wearing his glasses, he would have calibrated them out of discomfort due to the fact that he was clearly lying. "We've already discussed that months ago. Were you not paying attention?"

"Mm?"

"You are far too selfish, Suoh. You've abandoned your caretakers and trespassed on words that I've made quite clear to you the last time you were here. You can't keep doing whatever it is you want when someone else cares for your well-being."

"Like you?"

"Like your clansmen."

"Heh... Sorry to confuse you. I came in here to clean up before I went back. I don't wanna get nagged at for smelling like booze again. I don't need to hear that. But...I see you had something else in mind..." He began, leading a hand to Munakata's waist and bringing their hips to caress. In contrast to the closeness, Reisi showed no response other than reveal a conflicting expression; his eyes glowered into Suoh's while his lips were curved in the concept of a thin smile, "Oh my. It would seem that I did not make myself clear enough to you," he regarded, curling his fingers around the tassle necklace Suoh wore. The delicate handling of it betrayed his true emotions, "Your trespassing is not welcome. Regardless of your intentions, you are doing as you please and I disagree with it."

"So. 's what I do."

The carelessness in that remark spurred an automatic response from Reisi. His fist tightened around the necklace and he brought Suoh's nose to his,"Do you not remember the last time you ignored all else around you? Have you forgotten the many times you have abused your power for frivolous benefit? That type of behavior is not appropriate, especially not for a king. You may as well renounce your title and live as a clansman or an ordinary person. But of course, you are not the type to consider that possible. You will not step down and you will not listen to me."

Suoh's features faltered and both his hands dropped to his sides as fists, "Where are you going with this, Munakata..."

"Where do you think? You are abusing your rights as a king. I had hoped it would not come to this, but you insist on pushing my limits. I don't want the same thing to happen again... I want to help you, Suoh. Because we are both kings, we have responsibilities to uphold before any personal feelings. ..." Trailing off, he took a step back. Of course, doing so severed their contact. It pained Reisi to resurface issues of the past and invoke such a delicate atmosphere with Mikoto, but it had to be done. If the conversation were directed towards anyone else, he would have continued without much care towards their feelings. Distracted by emotion, Reisi turned away. Dolor raided his features and he grimaced, "... Do you want another incident like Totsuka Tatara to happen again?" The topic was forced out in a hiss. Munakata normally wasn't one to hold remorse and regret towards a subordinate and much less towards one property of another king. But because Totsuka had been close to Suoh, and Reisi knew what consequence seeking revenge would bring, he made an exception. Or rather, he indirectly let more of his emotions slither out. Either way, both men felt responsible and guilty about Totsuka's murder.

It had been the day before Anna's birthday. A few of the Homra members who were closest to her had taken her out for sightseeing, to revisit an amusement park and on a shopping spree. A hotel was even booked for them to stay in overnight. It was 'a nice fancy touch', as Totsuka had put it. While the entire adventure for Anna and the others was Totsuka's idea, halfway through it the carefree clansman decided to linger nearby his king should anything happen. As irony would have it, Suoh had a room in an adjacent hotel with Reisi. It was dubbed as a "meeting" but Izumo and Totsuka had known better. As to not disrupt or eavesdrop on their privacy, Totsuka left to chat with other Homra members that may have returned to their hotel. Instead of running into any familiar faces, the eccentric man headed to the rooftop where a white-haired stranger was taking in the night with a song...

Neither the lion or the calculating captain had prepared for the infiltration of a possessed high school student. And with Anna away from the hotel, she wasn't able to warn anyone about the presence of a wayward king. She had been unaware of Tatara's leave and deemed the worst upon realizing. Rikio stayed with her. After the gunshot, Yata and Izumo were the first to find Tatara and hear his parting remnants.

Since that night, Suoh grieved by spending the majority of his days with Reisi, personally and privately. His compel to be near him more often was a way of suffocating his sorrows. Munakata's presence often made Suoh feel he could relax and confide in the other man freely. He didn't need to worry about living up to anyone else's expectations of him. He didn't have to pretend to be someone special or different from most. He didn't have to bother with countless eyes being cast towards him, expecting gratification, direction and order. He could just be Suoh Mikoto- not a king or anything else-and be accepted. The problems he couldn't deal with or handle on his own, he placed in Reisi's hands and they got through them together. He just couldn't bring himself to face his subordinates and friends while his heart was steeped in shame. Most importantly, he didn't want to burden them either. He kept his own demise and inner battles to himself. The others wouldn't be able to understand anyway. Luckily for them, they weren't a king.

Being the Red King meant there was always a raging beast inside of him trying it's hardest to break free and burn everything; **end** everything. It was a continuous and strenuous battle Suoh had to deal with each drawn breath he took. But throughout the pain that signified him as a king, he still preferred to hold onto the power and abilities granted. He could care less about the responsibility portion.

Everyday, he blamed himself for being too late. He couldn't save Tatara. He wasn't there for him. That carefree man—always telling everyone not to worry and that everything would work out even when he had no grounds to make such wispy promises. Suoh always felt burdened by him the most. Totsuka's heart was far too light and free, and him much too whimsical. Suoh should have prepared for the possibility that such frivolous behavior would get him killed one day. Of course, no one expected it to happen when nor how it did. No one ever really does.

At the time, Reisi didn't mind the constant influx in company he was receiving from Suoh. While it fed his own loneliness, there was an unwanted attachment to Suoh's visits that they both wouldn't speak of. They had nearly drowned themselves in the other until a realization had clicked in Reisi's mind. While spending so much time with him, Suoh had practically abandoned all else. Every authority and duty as both king and comrade to the others in Homra were pushed aside in "favor" of being with him instead. In addition, Reisi had foolishly allowed himself to become a bit complacent with it and began to slacken in his own duties. As a king, he could not allow anything to interfere with his responsibilities. That came first. Once he started feeling as if his kingship was becoming threatened he finally broke things off with Suoh. On the very next day, the first snow preceding the week of Christmas, Reisi left him with a coarse reminder:

"_I will deal with my business while you will handle yours. Isn't that all there is?" _

It was from that moment on that he had vowed to himself to never sleep with Suoh in such a way again—to never let things get so out of control. Order and balance were demanded. Being with Suoh had almost caused him to question his faithfulness to his status. With so many depending on him he couldn't bring himself to abandon them, even if he had temporarily condoned his partner for the same actions. In the end, they both were at fault and chose to never speak of it. Because Reisi halted their relationship, Suoh felt a little heartbroken and unable to forgive Munakata for a long time. Reisi felt roughly the same but most of his remorse came from almost selecting one man before his duties. He felt as if he had shamed his throne and his own judgment. The regrets and swallowed sorrows of both men falsely bruised their hearts with "hatred". Hurt; anger; disappointment: those were better translations of their feelings and would have better sufficed for how they truly felt towards the other. Supposedly, using a stronger term deemed to aid in ensuring they distanced themselves appropriately.

Pity, their bond towards the other was just far too great.

"We can't be together, Suoh," Reisi concluded finally. His tone was honest and flat in its somberness, "There is no reason for us to meet this way and I'm sick of having flings with you."

"...Is that so..." Suoh returned blandly. Its sound took the place of nothingness.

"I also can't stand how fine you seem with it. If there can't be more between us because our role as kings comes first, then we should have nothing at all...save for possibly friendship..."

Suoh lightly shook his head, "...I can't just be friends with you..."

"...Exactly. So ...we've finally reached a conclusion."

"I suppose we have..." Suoh uttered gingerly, looking off to another part of the room to divert his eyes from Reisi, "but you aren't satisfied with that, are you, Munakata?"

"You have no right being a king. Renounce your throne." The subject was abruptly changed.

"And then what, Munakata?" he prompted, trailing his eyes over to the other man, "You keep telling me that as if you're some kind of high and mighty deity. Who are you to tell me something that you won't do yourself?"

"Pardon?"

" 'Renounce your throne.' 'Step down'. 'Our duty as kings'. Tell me, Munakata. Is the reason you won't be with me only because of the responsibilities we should uphold as kings?"

"Yes. That is exactly what I said."

"Then why is it that I should be the only one to betray my status if you can't do the same thing?"

"...What...?"

"If you can't step down from being king in order to be with me, then I shouldn't have to either. You can't do it; you won't do it. So we're both stuck, aren't we?"

Reisi's eyes condensed into slits as he let the words cognitively simmer. It would seem he was caught a little off guard, "What pleasure do you obtain, saying that to me?!"

"What do you want, Munakata..." Suoh sighed, taking a step closer. Reisi's entire body tensed. He suddenly felt the urge to recoil just for more space between them, but he stood his ground. What was that? Was it fear? No. He was worried. Of what? Facing reality? They had both been avoiding it for such a long time, now. When no answer was given, Suoh continued, "I want to hear it from you. I don't care about our duty. I don't care about what's right. I want to know how you feel and I want the truth. Nothing else. Do you want to be with me... or not...?"

"..." Reisi's head lowered for a second although he already grasped his answer. Gradually, he lifted his face to Suoh properly and fully, " Yes," he replied in a tone so hidden in volume, it almost cracked, "But, we can't."

"I didn't ask you that..."

"Suoh..." More of his controlled emotions began to leak out. Curse this man for having these effects on him. But, being the composed individual that he was, Munakata swiftly steadied himself and cleared his throat, "Consider this... After Totsuka Tatara's killer is apprehended and behind bars, I will execute him in any way you wish."

"... … I appreciate the offer, but I'll deal with that. Totsuka is my problem."

"From there, perhaps we can achieve some sort of reliable relationship. As kings..."

"...We'll just have to see what happens... I guess..." He didn't sound very convinced.

They already knew what would happen. It was fate. Remaining kings was part of the problem. Leaving it in equation would still create obstacles. And if Suoh's Weismann levels continued to heighten, taking the life of another king would spell nothing but disaster. There would be no relationship then. Still, even fate could be left to chance sometimes.

"Agreed. And Suoh..."

"...Mm..?"

"...I...Munakata Reisi... forgive you..." It was about time.

"Heh. I don't quite forgive _you_ yet. But I might be getting there..."

"Will you...?" Reisi asked, a bit too openly. It almost appeared innocent.

"You shouldn't be worrying about that either..." Suoh resumed, a slight rumble accenting his words. In his next statement, all hints of allure scattered, "Now, let me take a bath. You can allow me at least that, right?"

"I suppose..."

Suoh blinked, "What?"

"Do you need some help?" The mockingly over-polite inflection had crept back into Reisi's voice. He leaned forward a tad with the same regard a guardian would have towards a small child, "Shall I aid you? Considering, you had difficulty making it across the floor when you first entered here."

Suoh eyed the other male blankly for a moment before he turned away with an amused chortle, "Heh...And that would have nothing to do with a certain Scepter 4 desk-worker setting a trap for me, right?"

"Absolutely. You're simply far too clumsy... And in any case..." With a nimble whisk of his wrist, he pressed Suoh's back against the wall. Instantly, his hands gripped the tassle around his neck and pulled Suoh's face a whisper away from his own. His vocals lowered a sonorous octave, "Well then. Shall we get you undressed?"

"Mmmn... if that's what you want, Munakata."

"Surely nothing else would be any good for you, yes?"

"Heh heh...I don't know..." Suoh slurred, "Could be fun..."

"There is no fun to be had for someone who is disobedient..." he breathed, tightening the tassle and yanking it downwards in order to seize Suoh's lips. Puffs of breath and sensuous melodies shaped between them. Once Reisi allowed Suoh to breathe freely, the other man made a deep resonating sound in his throat, "Munakata..." he uttered gruffly against the other's lips, "while this is nice, it isn't getting me cleaned..."

Reisi ceased the kiss and gave a devilish chuckle, "Ohhh... So that IS what you really want, is it?"

"What do you think I've been saying? Now who's the one not paying attention?"

"I see. I can't allow you to correct me. We must do something about this..." he surmised. His slender fingers etched down Suoh's torso, familiarizing himself with every contour and shape through the texture of cloth. Between a few stolen kisses and tongue-play, the shirt was removed over Suoh's head. Both the chain and tassles at his neck retained their as ornamental placements. Darkened amber trained on Reisi, of whom busily got to work loosening the clasps of Suoh's jeans. His mouth rounded a random spot along that bared chest as his fingers descended the zipper. Delicately, both thumbs rimmed the waistband and pushed the clothing downward just a bit. Seamlessly, his fingers glided up, one after the other, to pull the garment the remainder of the way down to the floor. A he lowered himself, his mouth sampled and teased areas of Suoh's revealed skin with suckles, bites and the occasional kiss. The pattern was capricious. Purposely, he ignored a particular spot.

"Ohh? You shaved. For me...?"

"...I don't know what you're talking about..." Suoh lied behind a playful grin, glancing off to the side.

Reisi smiled lightly, "Oh, but of course."

On his way back up, he again avoided the centerpiece between Mikoto's legs quite deliberately. Another bout of searing kisses were pilfered by their warring mouths. After kicking off his pants, Suoh clutched Reisi's shoulders and reversed their placements. Now _he_ was the one with his back to the wall. Finding the thrill of being in control exciting and demanding of trouble-making, Mikoto immediately went for that long, elegant neck. A suppressed sound tumbled from Reisi and he closed his eyes while he dealt with the assault, as well as the sudden bite that followed after. His neck was the most sensitive, and most responsive, spot of his entire body. Mikoto never bit softly. Another benefit with being with a king meant, to him, that he didn't have to worry about holding back in fear of hurting someone he cared about.

"A littler harder, please. I barely felt that," Munakata jested, to which Suoh obliged with a much harsher bite akin to that of an carnal animal. In conjunction, he fumbled with the buttons along Reisi's shirt. It took almost all the self-control he had to not rip the clothing into tatters. Reisi, who mostly kept an unreadable expression throughout all of this, studied Suoh with truthful eyes uninhibited by emotional cloaking. The moment he chose to speak however, his cell phone vibrated along with a rhythm-less tune that proved the lack of attention he spared for such things, as well as being a reminder to get a better ring-tone.

"Ignore it..." The command rumbled in Suoh's throat, his tongue abusing the erogenous area with long, prodding laps. A sharp intake of breath was all Reisi exposed from such an attack. His eyes shuddered closed briefly; upon opening them again, he realized that two rings had passed. Not wanting to dissuade the caller, he glanced at the number and brought the device to his ear, "Chief Munakata speaking. What do you need, Awashima-kun?"

Suoh paused and looked up at the image before him. Reisi did not just answer that phone, did he? Suoh would have to fix that. With impatient fingers, he uprooted Reisi's shirt from its trappings and unhinged the belt. Casually, he sank to his knees, his palms squeezing the pale skin of Reisi's abdomen while his nails aimlessly dragged along it- designing meaningless incantations. Suavely, he brought his mouth to a crease in Reisi's pants and nuzzled it, biting down experimentally. He stole a quick glance upwards at the composed captain who continued to converse on the phone as if nothing were out of the ordinary. His orchid gaze held Suoh in their studious captivity with fascination and earnest, however. The attention was what Suoh wanted, if not a little more. He lifted his lips to the top button of the slacks and suckled on it. When he pulled away, the object became undone. A small breath left him and he nudged more of the cloth to the side in order to clutch the head of the zipper in his teeth. Skillfully, he pulled the zipper downward. His eyes shot back up to Munakata who still regarded him closely. Suoh could tell he wanted to touch him, but he needed to get off that phone first. It served him right to suffer a little, now. Amused at the thought, Suoh humphed and rid Reisi of his lower garments. All that was left was his shirt. But that could wait.

"Huh?" His brows raised slightly as he noticed something different,"Ahh... no Prince Albert, today, Munakata?" However, the sapphire lorum was still in place. Reisi sighed; only he could make his annoyance a beautiful sight to behold. Cupping a hand over the receiver, he leaned down slightly to deliver his words in a discreet whisper, "I've told you, it's not a Prince Albert, it's an Apadravya. And no, not today."

"Hnn.. close enough."

His attention flickered back to the phone as if the speaker could see him, "What's that? 'Upper drive'?No, no one is driving. That makes no sense, Awashima-kun," Reisi joked smoothly to cover up being partially overheard, "In any case, have you concluded with the results of your investigation?"

Suoh sucked his teeth. Without allowing Munakata any time to react, he smeared his tongue along the underside of the exposed length before his entire mouth enclosed over it. A shudder, that seemed more like a flinch, was the only reaction Munakata allowed to be witnessed. He didn't moan and his breathing hardly changed at all. The only evidence of any effect was hidden in his eyes. Not bothering to stop yet, Suoh devoured the flavor of Reisi's endowment quite ordinarily. One might easily mistake his indifference with boredom, but he was far from it. He just knew what Munakata preferred and was more than ready to offer it to him. Silently, he tilted his head back and began to ease the thick flesh to the back of his throat. A husky hum reverberated from him and the sensations were far too euphoric for Reisi to pretend to ignore.

A resonant breathy gasp expelled from him, accented with a taste of his voice, and he shut his eyes.

"Captain, what's wrong? Are you in pain?!" Awashima's voice called.

A second later, Reisi had completely recovered from his folly and delivered is words in near monotone, "I am in excellent condition. I may have had too much to drink today."

"Are you dizzy? Is your head throbbing?" Seri continued, obviously concerned for her superior's well-being.

"In a matter of speaking..." Clenching his teeth, Reisi glared down at the teasing man below him who wore a toying smile as he devoured him. He even had the nerve to growl like some salacious beast with a smouldering gleam in his eyes. It was in that moment that Reisi had forgotten completely about Awashima and the phone. Seeing this, Mikoto withdrew his head and kept his eyes within Reisi's so he could witness every moistened inch of him be revealed. Satisfied, Suoh stood and grasped the hand holding the phone and forced his lips against Reisi's, "You're done now, Munakata," Suoh breathed, prying the cell from Reisi's grasp and aimlessly flinging it over his shoulder. Reisi broke the kiss just in time to direct a hampering force field around the device so it wouldn't crash into pieces upon contact with the solid object. Gently, he lowered it to the floor, then shouted an apology and a promise to call his lieutenant back. Thankfully, a hand to his chin brought him back to what was interrupted and Reisi was engulfed by Suoh's powerful kiss. His shirt was promptly removed and tossed someplace along the floor-glasses and all.

In absolute need and desire, they rasped their hardened flesh against the other. Mikoto couldn't help himself and grabbed Reisi's rear from all the stimulation. The thrill boasted itself for only a moment; a harsh bite pinched the corner of his mouth. He pulled away when he felt a thin trickle of warmth curve his chin. The moment he was separate from Reisi, the darker haired man encircled his fingers around Suoh's neck and tossed him to the ground, where he slid near one of the longer mirrors.

"Get on the floor, please," Reisi demanded coolly; his mocking manner had returned. He stepped over to Suoh, bent down and pulled him by the tassle so their eyes could meet. Highly entertained, Suoh licked his lips, savoring a bit of the blood that still lingered there, "What are you gonna do to me, Munakata...?"

Reisi smiled darkly. His tongue peeked out to sample the line of blood from Suoh's face, and swirled about his own lips to catch any lingering drops, "Exactly what you wanted. I'd rather we not get too ahead of ourselves..."

"Oh...?" What was he saying? He actually didn't want to have sex? Mikoto analyzed Reisi's features candidly, then he gave a short burst of skeptical laughter, "You're a liar," he added.

"I do what I must to meet the circumstance," Briefly, he frowned like a child, "And so are you!"

"So what are we doing now?"

"Bathing. It is what you came in here for, isn't it?"

"Ah.. yeah..." That was the reason, wasn't it? Suoh had almost forgotten.

"Right..." Reisi concluded, scooping up a nearby bucket and a container of body wash. He handed the pail to Suoh then flipped the cap up on the liquid and squirted him in the chest with it.

"Now, let's get you cleaned, shall we?"

**OoO**

Darn. I couldn't fit everything I wanted into this chapter, as it's already 10 pages, but...I'm sure it's obvious what's to come next...ahem...

DARN IZUMO! ALWAYS POPPIN UP, I SWEAR!

AND THANK GOODNESS FOR TUMBLR. I came across this song, Wareta Ringo, and it's been playing nonstop for these two, now. (Sorry Shakira.) Skyfall also helped a lot! Gave me feels, it did!

As you may have noticed, there are touched on references to the drama cds, the light novels and the manga throughout this. Not just the anime.

HI ENIELL, MISTY AND NAY! ^^

-_- I'm sorry if this chapter sucked. I've reread it so many frickin times, I'll grow numb to it and mess it all up from an overuse of edits.

k bye!

-Mel


	5. Not Until Morning

_**A/N: WARNING! LEMON ALERT. LEMON! Also, THERE ARE UKE AND SEME VERSIONS OF BOTH SUOH AND REISI IN THIS. So everybody wins. (But if you ask me, I think Reisi is the main one who tops in the relationship, anyway)**_

_**A/N: There are inclusions of "a kind of sadistic Moona" again. There is also "fun" had with bodily fluids, so if the thought of it makes you too embarrassed...well I don't know what to tell you! Also, there will be FLUFF, there will be GRAPHIC IMAGERY and there will also be FEELS. You have been entirely WARNED! lol**_

OoO

Necessity

Chapter 5

OoO

At a quarter past 7, the whirr of an antique clock in the living room stirred its gears. An electronic bird, with a rapier at its side, popped out and gave multiple chirps, depicting the hour. Following after, the chiming of a music box began its choral intermission. From behind the bathroom door, a moistened sound overlapped it in a steady rhythmic pattern. A long husky sigh, belonging to Mikoto, tapered alongside it in unison. Inside the spacious room, Reisi was positioned on his knees behind a very pleased and very relaxed Suoh; his fingers deeply massaged Suoh's scalp as they became assimilated amongst the burgundy strands. Discreetly, Reisi brought his nose to just above the tresses and imbibed their aroma.

"Hmm? Have you been using a different shampoo, Suoh?"

A genuine question for a practical matter. For the past few minutes, Reisi had taken it upon himself to not only take on the task of bathing Mikoto's body, but to wash his hair too. Four different containers of shampoo, and two of conditioner, were at Reisi's side. Despite it being a simple matter of hygiene, he was rather contented to have the opportunity to chose a scent that both he and Suoh could agree on for his hair. If he remembered correctly, Suoh normally used a regular store brand of shampoo and deep conditioner, but today it smelled like a much cheaper knockoff.

Suoh wasn't all that shocked at Reisi's knowledge of such things. He'd half expect the meticulous man to have every follicle of his hair categorized in some file somewhere. But, he perished the thought with haste; he didn't want to sour the mood with creepy musings. "Ah... not really. It was left in the shower upstairs. It was almost gone, so I used the last of it."

Reisi snickered at the reply that held as much carelessness as the actions it defined, "I really should not be surprised. How like you to be so authoritative with other people's things like that."

Suoh shrugged, "It was there. No one else had used it for at least two days. More would need to be bought anyway. I just sped up the process."

"No, you've stunted it. You've told no one you've used it all, have you?"

"Nope. They'll find out," he half-slurred in nonchalance.

"You are hopeless," Reisi sighed, "Turn around."

Obediently, Suoh did as told and faced Munakata in a seated slouch with a knee bent inward. The other clicked his tongue as he reached out to spread Suoh's legs, "How do you expect me to be able to wash you if you won't make yourself more open?"

"Mmnn... That was rather vulgar of you... And here I thought you hated that..." Suoh smirked, lifting his chin and appearing smug. Reisi stared at him. With an expressionless face, he placed a finger and thumb to Suoh's thigh and pinched. Hard.

"!" Suoh flinched. Then, his visage altered to the look of an awed child, "What'd you do that for...?!"

"You may use one of my bottles of shampoo to take back with you, if you wish," Reisi mentioned, blatantly, and very badly, changing the subject. Realizing this, Mikoto continued to stare absolutely thunderstruck at Reisi before some sort of automated response bubbled to his lips, "Ah... is that so...?"

Reisi nodded. He picked up his bottle of expensive and fragrant body scrub and squeezed an adequate amount of it into his hand. He rubbed both palms together and caressed Suoh's chest with a rich lather. His fingertips drew circles in the soap while he massaged them along the toned torso. His focus was direct and unwavering. He seemed like he were involved in an intricate task rather than simply bathing someone. Without looking away, he picked up a nearby pouf and began palming larger circles about Suoh's body with it. Delicately, as if in deep concentration, Reisi lowered his motions to Suoh's abdomen, to his left side, then the right, never losing the rounded strokes. There was a method to his fluidity that even he himself couldn't place any meaning to. It was almost like a movement of art. Whatever it was, Suoh held no complaint just yet, but he couldn't help but notice how carefully Reisi was treating his body. The lack of pressure applied gave nuance of him holding back for unknown reasons. His features remained sombre; sharp bangs feathered before a bemused gaze; tender lips tugged downwards at the corners. He almost appeared in a trance of some sort.

Perhaps he took the responsibility of cleaning another very seriously. Maybe he simply wanted to savor the moment, the situation, the company. Possibly, he wanted to just enjoy doing something basic with one he cared for. In actuality, however, the thing Reisi felt right now was guilt and regret. Suoh was with him and still alive, but he knew there would come a moment where an end would be marked on the battlefield between them. Somewhere within him, he couldn't help but feel that this simple matter of bathing would be one of the last times he'd be able to do such a frivolous thing with this man. He wanted it to be a perfect memory. The flicker of a complex emotion flashed throughout his eyes and Suoh caught it.

"...Hey..."

Reisi blinked and gave Mikoto his full attention, pausing in task only for a second, "Hmm?"

"...You're thinking too hard..."

"Oh. I see." Was the empty reply. The atmosphere would have become extremely unsettling had Suoh not disrupted the silence. He hated seeing such a strongly negativity radiating from Reisi, or anyone that he could tell was troubled about him. He felt his demise and problems weren't worth another person's concern; it would just be wasted on him. So, he struck up a conversation which was a rarity in itself,"...Hnn... I guess that means I'm lucky you don't have laser eyes or something..." Suoh drawled, meaning if had Reisi been equipped with such an ability, he would have burned a hole through him from having such a weighty stare.

"What..." Reisi gave Suoh the most serious expression his attractive features would allow, but the chortle he tried to hold back teased the corners of his mouth, "Are you comparing me to some super villain or some type of hero?"

"Ah... yeah. But maybe it doesn't suit you."

"Being the hero or the villain?" he questioned, running the pouf along both of his arms, "Arms up," he noted, prompting Suoh to raise them in the air so Reisi could get the underside.

"Neither. You're fine the way you are," he confirmed, dropping his hands to his sides as Reisi dunked the pouf in a bucket of water. The calmer male took a moment before he gave a verbal response and resumed the washing. "Oh...? As what?" As he listened, he guided the pouf lower and began bathing Suoh's endowment in brisk and elaborate strokes. While one directed the pouf upwards, his other hand slicked the lathered flesh left in its sudsy trail; alternating. The motions caused Suoh to pause and his expression to change; a mild murmur, sounding like a purring growl, emitted from him. He leaned back on his palms and spread his legs wider, "...I dunno. When you wear that Scepter 4 getup, you look a lot like you're cosplaying as a vampire lord from some lost castle somewhere..."

Reisi closed his eyes from the sheer nonsense that last statement was. The urge to pinch him again passed far too quickly, however, "That 'Scepter 4 getup' is a dignified uniform. It is NOT cosplay!"

"...But Mu-na-ka-ta, you'd fit right in..." he teased, elongating the name in its syllabary.

Reisi smiled thinly then glanced to his playful other, "There are places where _you_ would just 'fit in' with the way you conduct yourself in appearance. But, there are already enough openings in the red light districts."

"Ooh and how would you know that, Bloodsucker? Visit often?"

Actually he did, but only while on the way to pick up a specific brand of cigarettes when its specialty shop was closed. "Hmph..." An amused sound trickled from Reisi and he chose not to answer. Instead, he continued on to Suoh's legs and feet, "Ready to rinse?"

"...Yeah... Do I get to do you next?"

"If you mean to _wash_ me, then yes. Afterward, we can soak in the tub."

"And then?"

"And then I'm kicking you out, you mooching freeloader," Reisi quipped, speaking on even grounds with Suoh. Contented with being referred to like an equal again, Suoh laughed; his eyes softened with a soothing smile, "Sounds good..."

After rinsing Suoh off entirely, the red head picked up the bottle of body wash and squirted a half-dollar sized amount into one of the wash cloths in his palm. He dipped it in one of the buckets, then slapped it against Munakata's body—to which the one receiving it gave a jolt, "Why is the water so cold?!"

"...Ah. Sorry. I guess I should have warmed it first..."

"Yes, you should have...!" Reisi forced out in clenched teeth, but it was in mirth rather than malcontent. Even though at other times, he would have gotten on Suoh for abusing his powers, here he was was encouraging it in small doses. Without much passion, Suoh submerged a hand in the water and used command over his element to warm it—without melting its container, miraculously. He was actually trying extra hard to not destroy anything of Munakata's if he could help it. He dunked the cloth into the water then slapped it against Reisi's skin again as if he were some type of inanimate surface.

"I am **not** a bookshelf, Suoh! Knock it off, would you?!"

"Heh heh heh..." Suoh was rather enjoying himself.

"Honestly," Reisi rolled his head, as well as his eyes, while leaning back on his hands and legs widened in a position similar to Suoh's earlier. Having never done this to anyone else before, Suoh vigorously ran the cloth all over in zigzags. Witnessing this, Reisi couldn't find any words to retaliate with. All he could do was watch in utter amazement at how tactless Suoh was in even something so fundamental. Suoh took in the expression with entertainment, "...I normally use a..."

"A shower. I know. That sharp-witted man has you spoiled, doesn't he? Yet, I suppose someone like you wouldn't be able to appreciate the tranquility associated with our country's more traditional methods."

Mikoto simply stared at him as if he had grown an extra head out of his neck, "What does that have to do with knowing how to bathe? You're getting soapy, aren't you?"

"...That is true..." Reisi humped with a light smile, "Barbarian, indeed."

"Yeah... I'm just a regular cave man... Flip over. Or else I'll club you over the head and drag you back to my cave by your hair..."

Reisi laughed faintly, and laid on his stomach; both arms were folded under his head with his back to Suoh in an absolute show of trust. Being in such a position was the worst one to be in towards your enemy. But Suoh was far more than just an opponent. However, those thoughts began to melt away when he felt the washcloth along his shoulder blades. "Ohhh? Such strong words, Mr Caveman," Strangely, the nickname was voiced rather affectionately, "But there is absolutely no way I'd become your wife."

"Hmph. Who's asking?"

"Aren't you?"

"You've got the wrong person. No 'wife' would have anything to do with a guy like me. Don't want one either," he confirmed, and continued his aimless pattern along Reisi's backside.

"You aren't simply speaking of a woman, now are you? Assumed gender roles are not permitted here."

" 'Course not."

"...Oh, this conversation is beginning to bore you?"

"...Yep..."

"You're right, though. A 'wife' would want nothing to do with you. You're too much of a carefree individual. You need someone with control, harmony and justification at their side. Having a brain certainly helps."

"Aheh... if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were proposing yourself as a candidate."

"Certainly not." Was the brusque reply. Inwardly, Reisi swore to himself at the similar parallels. He was letting more of himself be exposed to this man, and quite freely at that, "I was simply stating a fact. Having someone who can contrast your weaknesses and bond with your strengths is best suited for you."

"Oh...and how do you know what I need, Munakata?" His brows raised in mock awe but it made him appear sleepy instead.

"Maybe it's because you're such an irritating individual of whom I constantly clash with..." He retorted, purposely dancing around admitting his attraction and his bond with him from that.

Suoh laughed, "Reaaallly now..."

"Yes. You object to this?"

"No. But I have an objection for you..." Suoh teased, stealthily leading a well-frothed finger to prod an area that he should not have. Munakata rose to his side and then sat up immediately. That man did not just try to do what he thought he did, did he?! In the beat of a few seconds, Reisi stood and snagged Suoh up with him by the hair. He then flung him against one of the mirrors,which were made of a type of indestructible glass, and cornered him. His fingers snaked up to the shaped ornament about the tassle necklace and tightened it to his throat. Soon, both Reisi's hands clawed down Suoh's body and slid under his thighs. Both legs were then raised off the floor and he pressed his hardness just beneath his entrance. Suggestively he rubbed against the taut ring, his breaths turning ragged.

"It should not have come to this...but I will take this opportunity to discipline you..."

Suoh took the remark, that was spoken more for Reisi's sake than his own, as an invitation and grabbed Reisi's lathered endowment. His palm glided along its length with earnest and taunting as if to persuade Reisi to enter him against any reconsideration. By doing so, he was also making sure his fingers were well lubricated before he inserted two of them inside himself. At least he started to when his weight shifted from Reisi letting go of a leg. Roughly, he yanked Suoh's hand away before using his own instead. His fingers stretched, pinched and explored the velvety depths; quickly, fully and impatiently. He knew exactly where to touch and how much pressure to apply. Suoh held no objection to any of this and kept his eyes on his king, stroking him lightly as he waited. Once he deemed the passage prepared, Reisi positioned at its threshold and immersed himself. He didn't have to put forth much effort; the relaxed muscles practically swallowed him inside. He paused for a moment to draw in and exhale a shaky breath from the overwhelming heat that clutched him. Of all the things he had become accustomed to about Suoh's body, this stimulation was one he had never gotten used to. The interval between now and the last time he experienced it sweetened the sensations one hundredfold.

"Hah... Suoh..." The name hitched in a shuddering air; his head lowered, straying his eyes away from Mikoto's. There was little point in doing so; he was already surrounded; immersed. In a nuance of consideration, Suoh lifted a finger to Reisi's cheek before cupping it. In a voice shaded with lust and concern, his words rumbled throughout his entire being, "...You okay...?"

As an automatic response, Reisi nodded, but kept his attention downward. His lips were taut and his eyes were flickering about, as if he were analyzing second and third thoughts. But again, he nodded and nudged that side of his face into Suoh's palm. His lashes kissed as he closed his eyes and led his lips into that warm hand. The whisper of an approval rolled over the embrace and finally, Reisi lifted his eyes to the one before him. A haze of emotions swam in them; the only one that Suoh could clearly decipher was one he had often been shown in activity, but never confessed so openly in silence.

Love.

Mikoto's eyes widened in revelation and Munakata understood all at once the reason for the sudden change in his visage. Normally, he would have switched topics out of embarrassment or hidden behind his glasses had he been wearing them. However, this time an affectionate smile stole his impassive expression away, "Looks like I need to be more careful..."

"Munakata..."

"Yes..." he replied, casually reaching for Suoh's leg again to ready him in position, "Oh, and don't be mistaken. You're not getting away with that stunt just yet..." A distrusting look obtained his features with a cunning grin to accompany it, "I am going to make sure that you are severely punished."

"Then do it," Suoh teased, tightening himself around Reisi enough to make him hiss. The cautious man then leaned close to Suoh so that their noses barely touched,"You had better hold on."

"If I feel like it..." Suoh returned playfully, earning an amused chortle from Reisi.

"I'll remember that..."

That was the last thing that needed to be uttered as Reisi's body vaulted forward and Suoh's bowed against the mirror. A few seconds were allotted for Suoh to become adjusted and once his features expected more, that was exactly what he was given. Minimal sounds, other than their rises in breathing, were exchanged between thrusts. Despite being entwined, there was a distance between them; while Reisi's contact was needed to hold Suoh up, the other held onto nothing. His arms rested on either sides, clutching at the cold surface of the glass. His eyes were hidden behind closed lids as the nostalgic sensations threaded through him. A soft wet squeak sounded from the movement of his body rubbing against the mirror. His wild hair knotted in clumps and kinks; both droplets of water and the luminance from the lights above had caught within it. His breaths came liberally through his nose in short, shallow intervals that were in tempo with each motion of Reisi's. The lighter male shared the same respiratory rhythm, the only difference being its barely inaudible volume. It truly had been a long time since they had last done this. Reisi remembered everything—he knew each detail of every reaction that he was shown and given from Suoh while within him. He knew what their distance entailed and he knew how it would change.

Steadily, Reisi quickened his pace just slightly enough to garner a guttural sound from Suoh. In the instance of those saffron orbs revealing themselves, Reisi touched his forehead to Suoh's and deepened himself within him. This time, Suoh's lips parted and an immediate sound flew from it. He kept his glossed eyes on Reisi's, or rather he attempted to. His vision conflicted between stuttering shut and continuing to observe. "Muna...kata..." The name may have been lost from how lowly it was gasped. It was then that one of Suoh's arms began to move on its own; lightly his hand cupped Reisi's waist. Gently, he accompanied the pace of the rhythm with his hand, aiding in both guiding and encouraging it. Reisi acknowledged it, but didn't appear to think much of it. His eyes thinned and he pulled his head back to be able absorb Suoh's visage into his own. Suoh didn't hide nor hold back anything. He let Reisi see every expression his actions were affecting. Reisi, on the other hand, held no such thing to be shown. His focus was Suoh.

Soon, Reisi's thrusts strengthened in fervor and became much more vigorous. In midst of its height, Suoh's hand found its way to the back of Reisi's head, where he clutched the dark locks possessively. His other hand gripped at the mirror; his entire body bouncing. His erection throbbed, tightening on the verge of being given rapture. Preparing for his ultimate to ensnare him, Suoh's other arm draped around Reisi's shoulders and he brought their foreheads to kiss; his breath turned rough, his voice now deeply coarse signaling a grunt of warning. Just before he could attain his climax, Reisi withdrew from inside him completely. The instance of bliss that would have been granted was callously snatched from him and all that had built up began to dilute and dissipate. Suoh clenched his teeth and inadvertently hugged Reisi closer while his nails bit fiercely into shoulder and hair alike. Reisi, however, had other plans. He removed his grasp from Suoh's legs; had he not been clinging to Reisi already, he probably would have fallen from disoriented balance. Reisi then grabbed both of Suoh's wrists and pried them from around him. Still holding one, Reisi twisted Mikoto against the mirror belly-first. Both necklace and chain flew over his shoulder from the impact and immediately, Reisi secured him in an arm bar. A very taut one. He then yanked the tasseled pendant over Suoh's head and held the item between his lips while he pulled the other arm into the same move. As he held them both in place with one hand, he wrapped the tassle around them twice in the design of an "8" before tightening it. It was wound tightly enough to keep both wrists bound, but was tied in a way that would allow Suoh to loosen out of it with ease if need-be.

One hand grabbed the back of Suoh's head and slammed it against the glass before the other reached around and squeezed his erection harshly. Despite the dominating atmosphere, Suoh was in no pain whatsoever. In fact, tendrils of a throaty grunt egged Reisi on.

"I did not give you permission to come," Reisi's maleficent words crept into Suoh's ear and thickened his clutched length, "It seems someone forgot the punishment due to him. Didn't he, Suoh..." Reisi grinned with contempt. When no intelligent reply was voiced, Reisi tightened his grip and pulled Suoh's head back. Tauntingly, he rubbed his arousal betwixt the curves of Suoh's bottom, "I did not gag you. You may answer back. With words, please."

Suoh was furious, but at the same time, he wanted to laugh. He wasn't in the best position to give examples of either, however. After all, his orgasm was taken from him. He was a little irritated about that, but it seemed that his sadistic other wanted to have some fun with him. "...Heh...heh heh..." Still, some humor managed to seep out regardless. To this, Munakata smiled calmly and tugged at his hair once more, arching Suoh's back. His eyes glanced to the mirror, settling on himself, then on his victim. "Look at yourself...and see where your defiance will get you..." Reisi stated, repositioning himself at Suoh's entrance. Both men drew in a swift breath as Reisi began to fill Suoh once more. Then, he withdrew partway, slowly, and reentered at an even more decreased pace. He did this completely on purpose—his intentions like that of dousing an open wound with salt. If Suoh wanted to climax this time, he would need to beg for it.

"...Faster..."

"Hmm? What was that?"

"...Go...faster..."

"I don't believe I understand. What is this 'faster'? Perhaps it's part of another language?"

"..." Suoh sucked his teeth; his brows furrowed in frustration and desire. For a moment, he held the expression of a rebellious child. Munakata loved seeing the disappointment on Suoh's face that he technically put there himself. This was far too entertaining. His features brightened as he feigned surprise, "Ahh... is this what you mean?" he mocked, rendering his thrusts slower still with a second and a half between each one. An aggravated growl rose from Suoh and he began to squirm. Instinctively, his eyes shut and the second they did, a shake from Reisi opened them right back up again. "Look at yourself," Reisi repeated flatly. Through narrowed eyes, Suoh obliged.

He almost didn't recognize his own face from how warped with lust it was. Feeding on that, Reisi wet his lips at Suoh's wanton reaction and decided to add a little robustness to his droll thrusts. Somewhat pleased, Reisi leaned down and bit Suoh's neck. He kept his eyes on the reflection of his other and slowed his pace yet again. The sound that left Suoh was a delectable melange of a sigh and a fragmented mewl.

He liked teasing just as much as Munakata, but enough was enough. Annoyed, Suoh pushed back against Reisi's endowment to start a pace of his own. But that was promptly ceased with another yank of hair. "Mikoto..." Reisi breathed, nibbling along Suoh's ear, "...tell me...how badly you want me..."

"...Shouldn't it … be obvious...?" he tossed back. Munakata chuckled and Suoh could feel each tingle of his breath dapple along the back of his neck. "Mikoto..." he prodded airily; his commanding hand slackened in its grip and began to scale his size with agonizingly slow strokes. A moistened 'schlorp' sound fitted between each movement of Reisi's hand from the abundance of soap.

"...Tell me you want me to allow you to come."

"..."

"...Give me an answer...or else I will leave you like this..." A glimmer of malice sparked in his eyes and his ministrations ceased; a harsh squeeze took its place. Suoh growled and forced his eyes shut.

"Watch," Reisi demanded icily. To further prove his attestation, his clutch liberated Suoh's endowment and he pulled his hips back to slam into his victim. Only once. A sharp grunt sparked from Suoh and his voice heightened at the end of its duration. Thoroughly frustrated, his eyes shot open and his mouth widened in a pant. In a frantic blur, his eyes darted to Reisi in the mirror, and then to his own reflection. This is what Reisi had been waiting for. Having Suoh's attention where he wanted it, he began a rapid pace, causing Suoh's body to crash against the mirror. A loud sound broke over him and a breathy swear left him each time his length rubbed against the cool surface of the glass. Loving every second, Reisi leaned close to swipe Suoh's ear with the tip of his tongue, "Mikoto..."

Disoriented gibberish was the given reply.

"Do you wish to come, now?"

While Suoh knew better than to answer that, his head gave a limp nod anyway. But since it wasn't a verbal response, Reisi pretended he never saw it, "Hmmmm? I can't hear you."

He should say nothing; he wanted to say nothing, but through his heavy breathing and carnal sounds, an answer was found, "...No..."

" 'No' ? Ohh someone is attempting to be sneaky here. Perhaps I should fix that," Reisi jested, and drove into Mikoto with much higher ferocity. From this, Suoh's grunts and gasps transformed into a coherent bellow. Both males were aware of how close he was. Just as his release neared its arrival, Reisi disrupted it. His hand clamped down on Mikoto's length and he postponed all movement of his hips. The most beautiful sound flew from Suoh's throat, only to become fractured in uneven volume. Again, his orgasm was taken from him and his body trembled ferociously. His chest heaved as his mouth opened widely to cater to the heavy gasps that needed to be expelled. With great effort, he managed to pry his eyelids open. As he did, his vision shrank in girth as he witnessed how desperate and salacious he looked in the mirror. His reflection mocked him; his features practically begged Munakata to be taken harshly and thoroughly. A pang of humiliation stung his being from being seen like this, but another part of him welcomed it as a turn on. So this is how Reisi made him look all those other times, too? To have that kind of power of him—Suoh found it immensely erotic. Reisi took notice of the impact he had, as he felt a strong throbbing in his hand. It would appear that he would have to actually give Suoh his release soon. Certainly, that didn't mean that he couldn't continue to taunt him a bit more.

"Shall I ask you again...?"

"..." All Suoh could do was pant. Forming complete sentences were currently out of the equation.

Instead, he pushed back against Reisi anyway. Of course, that type of behavior earned his face rammed against the mirror again. Only now, Reisi had decided to resume his punishment another way. Suoh's body soon became victim to being savagely ravaged as Reisi delved into him rapidly and forcefully. One hand remained clawed in burgundy while his other moved to grasp Suoh's hip. His senses wavered; every sound he made became lost; his length collided against the glass with a rugged friction that matched Reisi's vibrant thrusts. Soon, both of Reisi's hands slapped against the mirror; it hadn't occurred to him how loud his breaths had transpired to impassioned shouts. He didn't recognize his own voice, only hearing Suoh's before every sound blurred into the noise of silence as their climaxes engulfed them both.

After regaining his senses, Reisi removed himself from Suoh and forced him down to his knees. His fist nestled in his messy hair once more and he brought his head to the milky substance that drizzled along the mirror's surface. "Lick." The order cracked in its demand. Too tired to argue, Suoh crossed his tongue with the ivory essence and consumed it in several long laps. As he did, Reisi's attention trailed up to his own figure in the mirror. When with Suoh, he tended to become someone else. His eyes shifted back to Suoh as he pushed himself up from the floor. Reisi let go of his hair and watched his other face him with inviting eyes. He swallowed, then opened his mouth to show that not a trace of his essence lingered behind. Finding that too attractive, Reisi pulled him close and hungrily devoured his lips. Stealthily, his hands slithered down the outline of Suoh's body and curved around his rear. There, he cupped both halves and spread them. When Suoh made a quick sound, Reisi broke the kiss to glance behind him in the mirror. A thick budding of cream gathered like a fluff of confectionery before it slowly curved along the contours of his thigh and crept down the back of his leg. Despite being one who claimed to hate things of a vulgar nature, Reisi did nothing to stop his tongue from lacing across his lips at the display.

"How revolting..." he jested, a sadistic curve to his mouth. One more rough kiss ignited between them. At its conclusion, another more delicate one took its place. They met eyes yet again, however this time, Suoh was the one with mischief in his.

He pushed a bucket of sudsy water towards Munakata with his toe, "Here," he croaked, knowing how Reisi felt about cleanliness. Reisi eyed Suoh curiously, but he accepted the offer. Suoh's eyes remained fixed on him as he bent over to collect the items and then applied them to himself. A slicked sound peeled into the room as Reisi stroked his length with the foamy washcloth. A faint frown touched his lips from how cold the water was, but that soon faded when his gaze traveled over to Suoh. The gang leader leered back at him as if some cunning plan were churning in the back of his mind, with a lopsided grin to match. Reisi emulated the look absentmindedly only for a second just because it was Suoh and he was smiling. His eyes then contracted a tad and his motions slowed, "What?" It was a genuine question. In response, Suoh snickered and took a step closer, "...Nothing..."

Before the calculating man could comment, Suoh swept one of Reisi's legs from under him with ease. As the other staggered, Suoh tackled into him with his shoulder, sending Reisi falling and sliding across the bathroom floor, backside first. Arms still tethered, Suoh kicked the same bucket of soapy water to Reisi, its chilly contents deluging his body. He looked up to witness an impish Mikoto stepping discreetly towards him. Calmly, Reisi raised a hand and sent a crackle of lightning Suoh's way. Its struck target merely twitched from the impact and Suoh found it humorous, "That's different..." he mused, then sank to his knees with Reisi's legs on either side of him. Immediately, Reisi realized what his other's intentions were and his eyes rounded, "Suoh..."

"...Uh huh?"

"You're not going to do what you **think **you might be, are you?"

"Maybe. Is it a problem?" he smirked, nudging lewdly at a certain spot between Reisi's legs. It took a while for an answer to surface amongst the flurry of thoughts his mind failed to wrap around before sound finally found shape at his lips, "...I... It has never been done...! Might I remind you that this is what got you against the wall just minutes ago, you realize?!"

"Does this bother you...?"

"Yes, of course it does! ...But..."

"...But...?"

"... .. …. … …"

"...You're frowning..."

"...I'm thinking … … …!"

"... … ..." Now, it seemed that Suoh was too. Both of their faces shared the same furrowed brows that made them almost look like grumpy old men. At the same time, it showed how childish they were behaving as well. While the two of them had done quite a few sexual things together, the only thing to ever penetrate Reisi was a finger or two. Nothing else. And that was for added stimulation from receiving a very concupiscent deep-throat. Still, being granted the chance to allow something far larger inside of him was a very gargantuan step for him. The more he thought about it, the more his mind became amassed with the ways he felt about Suoh. It wasn't very long before his heart lightened and he had already made his decision.

"... … ...If it's you then... ..."

"Mm?"

"... … Fine, Suoh. Do as you please with me... But I'll only allow this once...!" His words were final, but his expression was its contrast. He didn't look very sure. Naturally, Suoh saw straight through it.

"Heh... You know that's gonna be a lie."

"Will you do something or won't you?!"

To that, Suoh smiled delicately, "I need your hands, first."

Reisi's face scrunched, "No you don't. You can use your own."

"I need yours."

"..." Reisi grimaced. That was almost sweet. Who knew this boorish fool had any of that in him? Wanting to avoid arguing over it, he brought his hands downward. His fingers caressed the thick flesh fondly, sliding it between the digits and handling it freely. His touches were gentle, tender even. But, in actuality he was distracted by endless contemplations-worried about the necessary preparations for what was to occur. Realizing this Suoh bent down, bringing his mouth to Reisi's abdomen. His tongue outlined his navel before darting in its middle, "Relax. Trust me," he added, bringing his lips down upon the small spot.

"..." After a moment of subduedness Reisi nodded, giving the notion that he trusted Suoh. In this period of understanding and devotion, that was all the other needed. Suoh guided his lips over the wet skin of Reisi's belly with scanty kisses before he forced himself to a seated kneel. As he did, he noticed the nearby bottle of body wash out the corner of his eye. Awkwardly, and somewhat cutely, he nudged it towards Reisi's reach with his nose. He muttered an "Oops" when the container ended up falling over right next to its destination. With a questionable expression just shy of a laugh, Reisi snatched up the item. He flipped the cap back and dribbled patternless designs along his body. After placing it aside, he held his breath and rolled his fingers through the gel. Once he determined he had created a sufficient lather, he slipped a slender digit inside himself. He cringed. He felt sorely out of place and out of his element doing this to himself. Yet, he moved his finger back and forth until he was ready to add another. Bemusedly, his eyes trailed up to Mikoto's endowment and his frown became a scowl. How was _**THAT **_going to even fit? Why did he even go along with trusting him?! Trust with one's actions were one thing but _**THAT **_was a weapon on its own. Reisi's brows lifted in perplexity. Just what had he gotten himself into?!

"...Hey, relax..." Suoh reminded with a smirk. He had noticed Reisi slowing and surmised he was immersing himself deep in aimless thought again, "...I'll have you enjoying it in no time."

"Says the man with his arms still bound. Excuse me if I don't fully believe you."

"I wanted to give this a try," he admitted, biting his lip coyly with half lidded eyes.

Munakata blinked, "Topping me or doing so with your arms literally tied behind your back?"

"...Both, I guess..."

"And you aren't sure?! Honestly, you are hopeless!"

"Haha... think you're ready yet?"

"...Yes..." He at least supposed, anyway.

"...Mn..." Suoh grunted in reply. Even with being given an open invitation, he didn't move immediately. Instead, he took this time to drink in the rare view of his Munakata on his back, peering up at him expectantly. Or was that impatience? He couldn't tell, sometimes. A lot of Reisi's expressions tended to blend into the same one.

"Are you stuck?" Reisi chided.

"...Ah..." Suoh understood. So it was impatience after all.

"..." Reisi's gaze shifted to Suoh's size yet again. Silkily he encircled his fingers around it, pinky out, and he stroked it lightly. The feel of it in his grasp caused his mouth to water. His lips pursed slightly before they inched open; a light breath fluttered through its aperture. His features then became thoughtful. There was no way in his mind that Suoh was going to fit within him, but he supposed that he could humor himself. A soft grunt rose in Suoh's throat as he gingerly pushed forward, nudging the ring of muscle and prodding against it. To better accommodate the situation, Reisi lifted his legs so that his calves met Suoh's shoulders. Such a position was an intermediate one, but while it would have been quite hilarious for Suoh to fall face first on top of him from lack of balanced support, Reisi would rather his initial experience to be a decent one.

Lucid minutes that behaved as hours transposed between them. Once the apex had gone inside, Mikoto's brows furrowed. The conformity had clasped him in a sleek vice. He hadn't realized how hard his teeth were clenched together until he felt the need to exhale. Instinctively, his eyes clipped to Reisi's face. The chiseled visage of a sharp glare looked back at him. Darkened violet were barely seen through a thin moist film; pale lids were narrowed at half-mast. Reisi appeared to be glowering strongly at him, but such was his default expression for dealing with something like this. He wasn't exactly sure how he should feel and it showed. He almost seemed to be staring into space and straight through Suoh rather than at him. Still, he understood and made the mental note to give Reisi some aid. At that moment, he tapped into his kingly power and conjured a soothing heat; a swirl of that warmth encompassed his endowment and filled Reisi's being. Because he did not expect it, a sudden and uninhibited gasp tore from him and his back bowed. His palms pressed into the floor and his head turned to one side; amongst his dark strands, his features exhibited true and genuine bliss. Finally, Reisi was able to relax; as he did, it enabled Suoh to immerse the remainder of himself inside with sufficient ease.

As adolescent as it may sound, Reisi's body reacted sensitively from the collision of so many sensations all at once. From the way he writhed atop the floor with such ferocity, he almost gave the impression that he had been possessed. Suoh's movements within him deliciously attacked every nerve, making him hiss, as he was engulfed in blinding heat. Before long, his legs had switched placement to grip around Suoh's waist and his fingers dug into the floor. His ebon locks were scattered in an unruly mass, acting as a spilled liquid against the tiles as his head rolled from side to side. The lights above bore accent to his slick skin, giving shine to dewy sweat, frothy bubbles, and dressing a blueish tint upon his tresses. Glittering aubergine remained glued to the ceiling; his mouth opened and shut with vivacious breaths acting between them like silent shouts.

Seeing Reisi behave in such a manner entranced Suoh. He couldn't bring himself to pull his eyes away. His Reisi was utterly gorgeous. The fact that he was the one who brought forth such a reaction pleased him. Speaking of pleasure, it was about time he enhanced it. Without deterring from his performance, he managed to untangle a wrist from the bindings behind him. While Reisi was ardently distracted, Suoh brought his pale wrists together and wrapped the necklace tightly around them. He made sure the binding was secured and could not be easily removed by its wearer. He was certain Reisi wouldn't much care at this point. He then tucked his large hands beneath Reisi's back and lifted him to his chest. Instinctively, Reisi brought his bound arms over Suoh's head without hesitation. Eyes closed, mouth wide and head lolled back, he privileged Suoh with guiding his body as it jounced atop him. Reisi had practically become a different person, Suoh observed. He may have had a few sadistic tendencies while being the one in control, but being at the whims of another seemed to grant him license to be far more wild and careless. Suoh suspected being with him had something to do with it. A faint smile touched his lips at the thought. Who would have thought the uptight captain of Scepter 4 could turn into such a sultry incarnation in his hands? They would definitely need to incorporate more of this in the future. Firmly, his hands clamped onto Reisi's bottom and he lifted and descended him briskly atop his lap. The gurgle of his name sparked from Reisi, tipped with an authority that drove Suoh to his conquer his deepest height and hardest efforts.

"Ahh-!" Reisi all but shrieked from how broken and heightened his voice had reached. His beautiful face, matted with hair and a mouth rimmed with rivulets of pure lust, was hardly recognizable as the cold and stoic man many would fear. Being within the arms of such a wild beast, Reisi had transformed. Or perhaps, he held the heart of a beast more than Suoh did. Wefts of indescribable heat swelled within him from both his king as well as their act. A secret of Suoh's was he loved the sound of Munakata's panting and had wanted to hear more of it since that night at the sauna. He never imagined he'd get his chance to extract them from him willingly in such a manner. Soon, his breaths quickly gave way to a more vocal assonance.

Reisi hadn't realized it, but the entire room was soon filled to its capacity with shouts, exclamations and vulgarities from him. He hardly felt the breeze that whisked by him as Suoh rolled him onto his back. As his arms and legs latched around Suoh automatically, he failed to notice a hand creeping up to admire his neck. Another hand joined its twin and gradually, Reisi's expletives began to slacken in their intensity. His eyes lazily opened to find Suoh with both hands tightly held at his neck. Reisi could feel the thumbs pressing at the middle of his throat. While the action could be interpreted as an attack, a candidness of absolute trust reigned in Mikoto's gaze—or perchance it was an emotion of a deeper sort? Whatever it was, Reisi openly welcomed it; he lifted his tied arms from around Suoh's neck to lay them atop the ones at his as best he could within the confines. Keeping his vision within his equal's, he squeezed Suoh's hands firmly around his neck, sending the clear message to continue.

Suoh lowered his lips to Reisi's forehead, then pulled back just enough to be able to meet his gaze again. This way, Reisi would be able to experience every expression and see every embodiment of pleasure succeeded from Suoh being within him as he gave his all. His thrusts accumulated, and his hold on that alluring neck grew almost loving in its tautness. Amongst Reisi's throaty pants and sonorous grunts, Suoh's gasps began to heighten, nearly battling with Reisi in volume. And Reisi had a handicap! At this rate, he wouldn't be able to last very long. "...Reisi..." he breathed. Aside from all other noises, he made sure to form the name in perfect clarity. The sheer rarity of it being spoken by him enriched it and its meaning. Reisi already knew what Suoh was trying to say. With a nod, he smiled empathetically, "Yeah...me too..."

After that utterance, everything merged into a single entity of events. Suoh's pace deepened and every muscle tightened to its absolute limit. With a gravelly roar, he threw his head back; at the same time a string of gibberish stumbled from Reisi. Both were rendered breathless as their ultimates seized them both mercilessly. A blistering heat swathed Suoh's being and expelled its unbridled power within Reisi's walls as a rivaling force blossomed from the other. Reisi's abdomen became the targets for his uncontrolled expulsion. As for Suoh, his entire frame quavered as his release finally had been granted to him. His shaky hands slid from Reisi's neck and clumsily curled around his other's pulsing flesh. As bursts of Reisi's essence continued to thrive from him, Suoh redirected its aimless direction to Reisi's face. Upon command, globs of ivory spattered his features, sending dollops to his tangled locks and splattering into his gaping mouth. By then, a hint of his voice returned to him and he sat up, coughing; his seed spilled from his lips and sprinkled his thighs with its weighted warmth. "W-what..." he sputtered. He only had time to glance Suoh's way when a bawdy growl sprang from him, in addition to something else. In the next second or two, Reisi's head was grabbed and he was forced into a sloppy, messy kiss. Automatically, their bodies latched yet again—Reisi sank himself onto Suoh's lap and the two began to move against the other again far more frantically than before. Once they finally evoked orgasm one more time, both flopped to the tiled floor, thoroughly winded. Suoh was sprawled on his back while Reisi laid on his side. Neither could move for a good while—a reward for their hectic copulation. As they fought to obtain their breaths through the passing time, they both felt something was odd. When they could actually command their bodies to action, they craned their necks to look down between them. The candid sight of Reisi's hands cupping one of Suoh's greeted their eyes. Both men stared at the gesture: Suoh's drowsy features held what looked like surprise while Reisi's eyes widened owlishly. Smoothly, he played it off as if he were just getting Suoh's attention to remind him the bindings were still in place. Feigning indifference, he sat up. "Take this off me," he commanded, holding his hands outward. Stifling a chuckle, Suoh glanced at the demand, to Reisi. His eyes whispered shut in amusement and he scoffed. Lazily, he lifted a hand to Reisi's shoulder and yanked him back down to the floor.

"Go to sleep," he murmured, turning to his side.

"Hmph" Reisi snorted and sat up again, "Not until you release me of this! Because you're so fond of it, I'm resisting the urge to snap it."

"..." Suoh cast an eye over his shoulder. If he didn't do something about Munakata's grousing now, he'd never be able to get any rest. And to think, all he wanted to do was get cleaned up. Only, after getting washed, both his body and Munakata's were laden with–––something that could never be substituted for soap.

"Suoh!"

With a hefty groan, he forced himself to a sitting position. Not bothering to chance a look in Reisi's eyes, Mikoto worked his fingers to unravel the tassle and tossed it elsewhere without much care. Was he grateful that it didn't get ripped or torn? Yes. And because it was still all in one piece, he had no problems with chucking it to a random area in the room.

That "problem" now dealt with, he plopped onto his side with his back to Reisi, "...Go to sleep..."

Reisi eyed the other male with puzzlement and amazement through narrowed eyes. Was he not even going to at least use a towel to wipe himself off with?

"... What am I going to do with you," Reisi sighed.

Then again, he didn't seem to be in much of a rush to follow the advice of his own thoughts. He instead settled for rubbing his mouth with his hand and used his tongue to catch whatever was missed. A taste of body wash snuck into his mouth and he made a face. Well, that was what he got for still being the soapiest of the two of them. He really should consider rinsing himself...but in all honesty, Reisi simply did not feel like it. He was already mostly clean, wasn't he? Had he enough energy, he may have even gotten himself a cigarette. But he decided against that as well for whenever he _did_ gain the energy. He felt very lazy and extremely carefree in the current moment. Maybe that was his true self—or maybe it was more of the "beast" that Suoh helped bring out of him.

Well, who cared. He could deal with it all tomorrow.

Tomorrow...

Inwardly, he swore to himself. He suddenly gained the desire to kick Suoh, and none too softly at that. Curse him! He ended up spending the night, AGAIN! He abandoned his clansmen AGAIN for his own selfish reasons AGAIN! "Will you never learn...?" Reisi uttered, somehow overlooking the reasoning that any of what had transpired occurred solely because he could not resist the man he just had very intense, and very reckless, sex with. When he did come to comprehend that fact, he promptly threw himself to the floor, at Suoh's side, facing the opposite direction.

A transient silence shuffled by before Suoh deemed it "safe" to say something, "You're not getting in bed?"

"I don't need to," Reisi huffed, "If you don't want me sleeping next to you, then just say so." Of course, what he really meant was no matter how annoyed or upset he grew towards this man, Reisi hated being separate from him and the warmth he contrived. Wherever Suoh was, Reisi felt the need to be there as well. As simple-minded as it was to him, he could think of no better place to be than by his king—and the one he loved. Whether Mikoto caught wind of the hidden actuality or not was unknown. And that was fine for the both of them, for now.

"...Heh... G'night, Munakata," Suoh concluded.

After that, he spoke not another word for the night.

Reisi waited until he heard the familiar rumble of Suoh's abrasive snoring before he gave the response that echoed in his head a voice. "... … Goodnight, Mikoto."

OoO

Many hours later, Reisi was the first to awaken. Somewhere between the previous night and this moment, they had altered positions. Suoh now lay flat on his back while Reisi was on his side towards him, resting atop his arm. It was an all too common arrangement for couples who had just explored coitus and the naturalness of it irked Reisi. Had Suoh found out, it would have been a very dangerous sighting indeed. There was no room for those types of mutual feelings just yet, he surmised wistfully.

Immediately, he forced himself up to his feet and ended up stumbling around to find his phone. He really couldn't see anything, in addition to battling a dull throbbing pain in an area that he chose to keep nameless. Did it feel that way every time after sex? If it had, either Mikoto never showed it or he simply became used to it. Whatever the reason, Reisi wished its repetition would soon subside.

At last, he located his spectacles and earnestly put them on. He then scanned the entire room and sighed to himself. Only with Suoh, and only dealing in sensual matters with him, did his surroundings ever become so scattered and disrupted. Aside from bottles of soap and shampoo being strewn about, the mirror was smudged with the residue of another substance he would not describe; one of the wall tiles was loosened and there were even cracks in the floor.

Wait—what?!

When did **that** happen?! It would cost nearly a fortune to have this room remodeled or repaired! He could feel a surge of indignation scour at his composure and his hands balled into fists. Suoh! That Suoh! He was to blame for this! If he hadn't stepped into this room at all, any of this never would have-! If that slumbering log could see Reisi's face right now, he probably would have made up some reason to leave. Yet to no avail, as Reisi would trap him and discipline him thoroughly. However, that would result with the two of them ending up with a repeat performance of what caused this current disaster in the first place. Being angry with Suoh for a sensible reason-good. Allowing that reason to turn into rough sex as punishment-bad. Overwhelmed, Reisi, with great self-control, silently placed the heel of a palm to his forehead and shut his eyes.

Such a mess...

OoO

It took him roughly 20 minutes to bathe Suoh again and himself with the shower head; another 30 minutes were needed to soak in the tub. Suoh had been so heavy in his arms, Reisi nearly shoved him in the water head-first, but decided against it at the last second. After that, it took him another 30 minutes to get the both of them dressed. He needed to prepare for work and had no spare outfits for Suoh. He would have clad him in something of his, but he didn't want to raise any suspicious if that observant bartender were to catch Suoh wearing them. So, Reisi's "caveman" had to be clothed in what he wore the day before while the "vampire lord of a lost castle somewhere" suited up in his Scepter 4 "cosplay".

Finally, around 5:45 am, Reisi utilized his ability to create platforms out of thin air and dropped Suoh off at bar Homra through his bedroom window. He slid him off his shoulder and laid him atop the mattress. The young Strain was already atop the covers, breathing lightly in the appearance of sleep. If she were or not, Reisi couldn't tell. As he began to lift the sheets over them both, he noticed Izumo leaning against the door's frame out the corner of his eye. For a moment, time seemed to pause and their eyes locked. While they both hid behind the mask that their glasses provided, they also beheld each other with a distant mutuality. Bouts of jealousy lurked between them. One was the lifelong friend of the man Reisi had grown closer to in the most intimate of ways. It would have been more tolerable had the Blue King not had a habit of stealing all the free time that Izumo wanted to spend with Mikoto alone. Granted, it was Suoh's fault for the way he decided to carry out his day and that most of them tended to end with Scepter 4's captain. Still, whether it was out of civility or the opportunity to speak to someone who understood the type of devotion had for the same man, the two of them ended up leaving the room to talk amongst themselves in private.

In the bedroom, Suoh was still lost in sleep, snoring like some animal. In having her source of warmth returned, Anna opened her eyes without hesitation. Her deep gaze shifted over to Suoh, enveloping his form in a stare of amaranth. With a light sound, she blinked—such was her equivalent of a light smile. Her Mikoto, her most beautiful "red", had returned. Satisfied, she shut her eyes and moved closer, bringing her knees near her chest. The steadiness of her breathing, while quiet, brought Suoh out of his rest. Expressionlessly, he watched her tiny body rise and fall with each lithe breath she captured. In contrast, he could hear the walls practically hum with the voices of Reisi and Izumo's conversation. He didn't even have to guess; he knew it was about him. He hated how they got into such petty quarrels, but he wasn't going to go cut in the middle of any of them either.

Exhaling, he turned to his side, away from Anna, and glanced at the numbers of the clock on the nightstand. 6:12 am. Munakata would have to be at work very soon. Izumo would have breakfast ready around late 7 and early 8. Anna would be up by then, but he normally slept through it anyway. What possessed him to get up so early yesterday anyway?

Whatever. There was no point in pondering about it now. Idly, his eyes trailed down to a wrist. While looking at the designs of the markings that were still visible from the night before, a solitary thought came to him and his features became solemn.

He and Reisi truly could not keep doing this.

Could they?

OoO

BWAH! Welcome to nearly 20 pages of story, of which is the NORM for me and my verbosity. _

Be happy. You got roughly 5 pages of fluff and 9 of smut with 2+ of other things. There were 3 smut scenes...no FOUR smut scenes bundled into one! Be FRICKIN happy. Lol I'm tired of reading this thing over! If anything is out of place, or weird, I can fix it later zzzz

Yes, I find the idea of a bound Suoh smexing Reisi very smexy. SO WHAT? Reisi is still the seme in up in hurr! lol

Anyway, there should be one more chapter to go.

-Mel


	6. Omega

_**A/N: I had a lot of fun with the first half of this...as I'm sure it's obvious. **_

_**A/N: Possible feels alert. I sure got them.**_

Necessity

Chapter 6

**OoO**

"Uh oh, the captain's coming!" One of the Scepter 4 officers proclaimed just above an urgent whisper. Heeding this, the other cadets scrambled about their building, equally curious to catch glimpse of their leader as well as get out of his way. This particular day was different from the others, starring a spectacle of their superior that was too uncommon to miss. A hum on his tongue and a pep in his stride, Munakata Reisi practically glided down the hall towards his office. Hands held casually behind his back, he nodded fondly to his subordinates as he passed them. Generous compliments and observant comments ornamented his stroll.

"Fuse-kun, great job on your morning duty! Enomoto-kun, excellent effort on getting to work on time. Goto-kun, Kamo-kun, Hidaka-kun, your attempts at stealth are remarkable, but you will have to work harder for me to not take notice of you hiding over there. Also Goto-kun, I hope your cat is well. Akiyama-kun! Your hairstyle looks quite sharp today! My accolades to your coiffeur. Domyoji-kun! Please take careful heed to your uniform and see to it that all your buttons are in their proper places. Playing your video games into late hours of the night may be a distraction. Benzai-kun, make your sister proud today!"

"Y-yes, sir!" Unanimous respect was promptly bestowed to their superior. After he parted, all the cadets released puffs of relief. The captain was rarely in such a good mood, especially when it wasn't at the cost of another's misfortune or mishap. The exchange he had earlier with Izumo was merely water under the bridge now. His spirits were much too high, this morning. Perhaps the night before, with a certain Suoh, had something to do with it. Moments later, the double doors to Reisi's office flew open with enthusiasm. Both Seri and Fushimi, who had been waiting for him to arrive, turned immediately to face his direction. The twin-tailed lieutenant had never seen him so upbeat before and blinked in puzzlement, "Cap...tain?"

At the utterance of his title, Reisi spread his arms wide while bellowing, "AWASHIMA-KUUUN!"

Both she and Fushimi flinched and recoiled as if the unnatural outburst had seared them. But only she was the one subjected to a very sudden, and very large, hug that literally swept her off her feet. Fushimi observed with an uncomfortable expression while the lieutenant shrieked as their superior spun her in a circle. His features scrunched even more when Munakata had the nerve to take her by the hands as if he were going to lead her in a dance. He instead asked how she was doing, to which a stuttering of unintelligible nonsense dropped from her lips. The easily disgruntled teen sucked his teeth at the display. This wasn't the place to be doing such carefree and stupid things like that.

"C-! Captain?!" Seri stammered, her wits completely decimated from the charms exhibited by this man. Just what had gotten into him?! Unfortunately, she was far too flabbergasted to sputter more than his rank. Reisi partially ignored it. In fact, he was actually unaware of just how effervescent he was at the moment. If it seemed that much out of place, then he would blame Suoh for it entirely. After all, because of him, Munakata had actually obtained happiness. Apparently, his elation was broadcast with little restraint, this morning.

"...Isn't this the wrong place for you to be flirting, sir...?" Fushimi murmured hotly, obviously annoyed. He thought Scepter 4 had more order and tact than that. If he wanted to be around a bunch of fake and meaningless joviality, he could have stayed with Homra. And here his superior was, behaving as if this were some adolescent party. Just what was he so glad about? Did someone spike his coffee? Or maybe one of the cadets made a mistake and got verbally tortured for it?

"Oh, Fushimi-kun!" Munakata piped up, giving his attention to the other in the room. After excusing himself from his 2nd in command, he stepped over to the other male with exhilaration and a raised hand, "Fushimi-kun..."

"Don't you dare hug me," he retorted sharply, all in one breath and taking a step back. Reisi continued forward anyway. But instead of embracing him the same way he did Awashima, thankfully, he settled for patting him firmly on the shoulder like a father would to his son. His piercing eyes dug sharply into Fushimi's; a thin smile accompanied it. He was almost daring the younger to protest. He actually enjoyed the contempt he was being met with until the expression altered to more of a poker-face, "Sir, please remove your hand from me," Fushimi muttered, doing his best to keep himself in check. He was in luck; Reisi figured that he had quite enough fun for the morning. His favorite officer deserved a raise for returning his focus to that of business.

As Reisi addressed the orders for the day, he pulled open a desk drawer and pulled out a small pillow. To not draw special attention to the item, he casually dropped it in his chair before sitting on top of it and crossing his legs. Both Seri and Fushimi took notice of the odd and new behavior, but only one of them did not think much of it. The one remaining, however, glared at his captain with disdain.

"Awashima-kun, has your search been shed any light on details?"

"No, sir," she responded stiffly, "The target has still eluded us but we are still searching for his whereabouts via satellite. Shall I send some men on the ground?"

"Do what you deem is needed. I have faith in those you select in your task," Reisi assured, the tone he normally used to discuss business returning.

"Yes! Thank you. I shall see this through immediately."

"You may. Do well, Awashima-kun."

With a verbal salute, the voluptuous woman turned on her heels and exited his quarters. Reisi watched her leave, then seamlessly shifted his eyes to a scowling Fushimi who wasn't really attempting to hide it. "Fushimi-kun. I'd like you to-"

"If I may ask a question, sir..."

"Oh? Yes, what is it?" Munakata questioned politely, noticing the eyes specifically on his sitting position.

"Did you get laid or something last-"

"Fushimi-kun."

"...Ah...yes?"

Just barely, the inflection of a smirk was evident on Reisi's face. It lingered there for a beat of silence. Indirectly, it answered the invasive question. As to cover it up, he added, "Direct as ever. I appreciate that. However, you should keep your nose away from affairs that do not concern you."

"Then with all due respect, please don't bring them into your place of work. Someone like you in a good mood can never be a good thing." The last statement was left below a whisper. Munakata simply pretended that he did not hear it. After giving Fushimi his directions for the day and excusing him, the youth began to leave. Before he took a step out the door, he looked back at Munakata. A default expression greeted him. Disturbed and annoyed by how his superior had been acting today, Fushimi figured he may as well make him suffer a little too, "By the way, sir..."

"Yes?"

Fushimi paused, "... It was Mikoto-san, wasn't it..." he supposed straightforwardly, overlooking the folly of how he addressed his former King. A drop of muteness trespassed between them. Without changing his position or expression, Reisi sighed, "...Fushimi-kun..."

"Nevermind. I don't want to know." Picturing those two together was far more imagery than he was willing to entertain. He knew they both had an intimate history—a bond strong enough for them to end up as some type of tragic lovers. He wouldn't be surprised if instead of saving Suoh from himself, the captain would take both their lives at the same time. The idea seemed rather dull to him, probably because it dealt with Munakata. If Fushimi were in a dire situation with the one he was in love with, he would do whatever he could to make sure they lived. He'd sacrifice himself for Yata any day.

Wait, what was he thinking? Dealing with this brick wall of a man had caused Fushimi's thoughts to wander and he didn't like it. With not another word, he firmly shut the door behind him.

**OoO**

Much later in the week one evening, Reisi was making his way to his place. A medium-sized brown paper bag was cradled in one arm while double-bagged liquor was at his opposite side, clinking and rustling lightly in rhythm with his steps. He hadn't even planned on stocking up on any alcohol at the last minute but a certain guest of his had complained that there needed to be more bourbon around. Such a robust outburst earned this individual a thorough "lesson" to change his tune. Once Reisi was satisfied, he quickly bathed, then set out to replenish his supply. He estimated that his hot-headed griper would be in the shower right about now.

Once in the living room, Reisi set the bags of whiskey on the counter next to his liquor rack. He lowered the thin plastic and brown paper just enough so that the decorative bottles could be swiftly identified. The sound of water from behind the bathroom door caught his attention; he smiled inwardly to himself, knowing that his guesstimate was accurate. After tending to the dishes, and tampering with the facet so his guest only had cold water to be pelted with for a while, he took the smaller bag along with him to the bedroom. He removed the disguise he had worn for the trip, a pair of very wide shades, a fedora and false mustache, and set them on the nightstand.

Discreetly, he unveiled the purchased item and disposed of the bag and its plastic packaging. In his hands was a rather thick and lengthy product of which was highly popular among many women. It was transparent in design, fortified with multiple speeds, beads and even had a swiveling head. A vibrator, he believed this one was called. Not that he had never heard of or seen one before—he simply had never seen any that looked like _this_. He had no reason to search for one before. He suspected this product was something rather powerful, but all the extra bells and whistles didn't interest him. All he needed was something suitable to become accustomed to the insertion of a specific someone. He expected to be sore for a while, even with his higher pain threshold as a king. The vibration feature, he had thought, would be a good aid for relaxing his body. The entire idea made sense, but it was also foolish to him. Why did he even bother? It wasn't as if he were warming up to the idea of Suoh claiming him, was he?

He frowned. He couldn't exactly return the product and get a refund for the type it was. He strongly doubted it to be a good idea to give it to Seri due to all the distasteful connotations receiving such a gift from one's boss such would entail. Supposedly, he was stuck with it. Just what was so special about it anyway? Whether it were curiosity or something more irking than that, he turned the product on and set it to one of the its lowest sensitivities. A smooth vibration soon enveloped his palm and his eyes contracted in intrigue and analytical awe. "Ohhh..." he muttered, a bit entertained and heightened the adjustment. This time, the gadget buzzed loudly and its top began to sway to and fro. Still inquisitive, Reisi upped the device to its highest functions and stared in a silent shock at how frantically it thrashed about with life—pearls spinning beneath a gyrating thrusting motion. Its noise magnified to match its tremors but its drive was lacking in the intensity department. He assumed he could make do within those limitations, "...Interesting..."

"... Hey, what's that?!" The intrusion of Mikoto's rumbling voice startled Reisi and he nearly jumped. With frenzied fingers he fumbled with the toy, managing to turn its power down before he spun around to hide it behind his back. He had been so entranced and occupied with the mechanisms, that he failed to hear Suoh walk into the bedroom at all. Meeting eyes with his other, Reisi addressed him with a professional face, "Ah, I see you've completed your shower. Was it a pleasant one?"

A blink was Mikoto's initial response. His messy mane framed his chiseled features, and was dappled with watery remnants of his bathing as was the rest of him. A towel hung around his neck; save for that and his earring, he wore nothing else. While it could have been considered as a courtesy to not walk around naked, he and Munakata were far past the stage of modesty. Besides, what did he care about courtesy anyway? If Reisi was fine with it, Suoh was too. More importantly, the buzzing was much too loud to not seek out. "Cold. So...what was that...?" he inquired, lowly, desiring an answer that Reisi feigned dumbness towards.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?"

"..." The other male made a perplexed face and shifted his weight to one side. Was Reisi keeping something from him? Well that wasn't going to work. He inched a few steps nearer, "What. Was. That. ...That thing that's making noise behind your back... What is it...?"

"Hmm?"

"...Your phone?" He was skeptical about that. Reisi wouldn't bother to change that dreadfully lame ring-tone anytime soon.

"It's simply a timer," Reisi answered promptly. He switched off the contraption while keeping it out of sight. As he thought of it, its rolling reverberations did sound very similar to a phone. Why did he have to say it was a timer first?!

Suoh scoffed, "For what."

"For myself. What else would it be? Using one in the kitchen would be helpful."

"... ..." Suoh's face knitted in frustrated confusion that rendered his visage more attractive from how fitting the look was on him. It seemed Reisi was indeed playing games here. Well, he was fine with that. His eyes flickered to one of the mirrors in the room, then back to Reisi. He wasn't able to see what it was entirely, but he had an inkling. As the thought dawned on him as to what it possibly was, a sly smile played over his lips and broadened to a grin, "...Wait... ...Is that a..."

"It's nothing."

"Wasn't it a timer just a few seconds ago...? ...Show me."

"..." Munakata's brows furrowed. Just what was _he_ doing on the receiving end of such nonsense? Shouldn't he be the one to catch _Suoh_ in the act of something this _hair-brained _instead? This man's imprudence must be rubbing off on him. "I told you it was nothing. Go get dressed."

Neither man moved for a moment. Then, a suave chuckle from Suoh drifted into the room, "...Munakata..."

"What."

Alluringly, Suoh moved closer. Hands at Reisi's waist, he dipped his head to touch his mouth to that long, supple neck. If this could prove as a distraction, maybe he could get a better look behind Reisi's back. Or maybe he just wanted the contact. Regardless of reason, the action was a flimsy one.

"That isn't going to work. I'm not giving it to you," Reisi declared, dropping it to the floor and then kicking it under the bed with his heel. The fall hiked the device to the highest feature and the room was instantly engulfed with the noises. Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Suoh scooped Reisi up in his arms and then threw him atop the bed. With him out of the way, he knelt to the floor and secured the lively novelty with one hand. His brows pinched together as he watched it waver, wiggle and blur from its rapid speeds. For some bizarre reason, he was reminded of a gelatin snack. Come to think of it he was a little hungry, but that was besides the point! What possessed Munakata to actually buy something like this—and for himself, no less? Didn't women usually get these? Suoh recalled overhearing talk amongst some that have stopped by the bar, but all he remembered hearing about were their lack of having a man and something about rabbits. The latter stayed in his memory only because he had a likeness towards the animal; he wasn't sure what it had to do with the situation now, though.

"I do not appreciate that face you're making, Suoh!" Reisi fussed, climbing to his knees on the bed.

"...Is this a dildo, Munakata? ..._You_ actually went out and _bought_ one...?! That's surprising."

"...!" Reisi scowled with the frustration of a child. He couldn't bring himself to shape the words on his tongue, dare it be revealed that he was embarrassed. And he _preferred_ to think his outing was done under the guise of an alter ego of sorts, so it wouldn't count as being him! But, of course, it did anyway...

As if Suoh had tapped into that wavelength of thought, he nodded towards the nightstand, "That must be what you used to get it, huh? Fedoras don't look right on you."

"That's part of the REASON WHY I wore one!" he retaliated. Inwardly, he swore to himself. Why did he have so much care for a nosy guy like this to go out in disguise and buy a sex toy anyway? For what reason did he enjoy the company so much? Absurdity; all of it!

"Ah... "Suoh snickered, trailing his eyes to Reisi's and bringing him out of his musings. He even had the nerve to wave that thing around, gesturing with it as he teased him, "So...I wasn't good enough the last time, huh?" He tapped the tip of the still-in-motion device against his lips thoughtfully, "Or maybe...you got this to be ready for when I take you again...Munakata...?" Suoh continued, giving the length of the item a light lick. His eyes remained fixed in Reisi's to make sure he saw it all.

Both bothered and enticed, Reisi sighed; his hands tightened to fists atop his thighs. What terrible luck. Why did this always happen to him? Why did this man make him feel so many ranges of emotion and be so troublesome? Why did he continue to put up with it? Suoh's playfulness was one of the things he welcomed and shared in the same capacity, as well. He supposed that was at least one of the draws he had to this fool. A prankster and a goofball; partners in crime; bound to the other by destiny's red ribbon. No matter what, he just couldn't bring himself to feel this way about anyone else. As silly as it seemed, Suoh was perfect for him and he had learned to appreciate the moments like this no matter how ridiculous. And ridiculous was certainly the word.

"Suoh.." The name was revealed crisply and airily; slowly, he leaned down over the edge of the bed just enough to place a small amount of space between the two of them.

Suoh smirked boyishly, entirely having fun with this, "Uh huh?"

Reisi's graceful fingers feathered downward and outlined the pulsating object, stopping just above Suoh's hand. In the bat of an eyelash, the toy was snatched from Suoh's grasp and he was smacked upside the head with it.

"_Idiot!_"

**OoO**

…

**OoO**

Many a moon filtered through time in its advancements. Lighter months turned to those of denser atmosphere in both season and apprehension. Information that had once shrouded Totsuka's killer had been unveiled; all of Scepter 4 and Homra were on the heels of his given pursuit. To allow his gang to move freely to seek out the culprit, Mikoto had gone to Reisi directly seeking comfort under the pretense of arrest. Had he not done so, the entire city would have been wilted to ash by his rage. His trust in Reisi far exceeded the amount anyone else he was close to was allotted. To him, no other would be fit for this task and being near the meticulous man allowed him some peace—just like in previous times. And should his reign over his power start to misstep, he could be assured that his King would dispel it. Reisi had little complaint towards keeping an eye on Suoh. He was, however, fully aware of the possibilities in either catching Totsuka's murderer via his team or Suoh settling matters with his own hands. To prevent the latter, it would be pertinent for him to monitor him 24/7 in his cell. He also knew that if he did find himself staying in Suoh's company for too long in private, he would lose track of all else around them. His need for Suoh would have easily overwhelmed and intoxicated him. It was something that stretched further than strong desire; it was fate and it defined them.

Yet, the closer his division and Suoh's subordinates came to finding the assassin, the more he had to venture out into the field. Should Suoh break out unsupervised, Reisi would only take measures to deter him once the killer was within reach. In one of the instances that Reisi was absent from the vicinity, Suoh was visited by the killer, the Colorless King. Once he had a clear setting on his target, he freed himself, joined with Homra and set out to subdue the deranged sovereign. Along the way, Reisi sought out Suoh and ceased every attempt made to eradicate the Colorless King through distraction and his powers.

In the end, the occurrence that took place was one that either one could have prevented, as well as be able to do nothing about. The Colorless King was decimated by Suoh's hands. The weight of killing a king taxed the limits that Suoh's body would allow; appropriately, Suoh couldn't stand holding the burden of the Red King within his body much longer. For years, it had eaten away at him, but he was too proud to ever give the title away. Just as he trusted Reisi to be the only one to watch him and prevent him from becoming violent, he also placed the responsibility of being the one to end him, should he lose control of his Sword of Damocles. Only Reisi could give him true happiness; only Reisi could allow him freedom; no other would grant him his wish. They were fearful of it just as much as they were afraid of him. In that same token and understanding, Reisi was the only one who could heal him by extracting his life. The embodiment of his power and well-being wavered in the sky above him. Its scatted in fragments matched the impending finality of Suoh's life. His vengeful action was reckless; thoughtless; impulsive. But not only did he avenge his friend, he brought an end to his own suffering. At last.

The greatest King? Not at all. Everything Suoh did was acted upon as a brash man with too much care in his heart and an abundance of pain because of it. He could protect those around him best by utilizing the powers of a King. That meant he would suffer longer, but the choice had been given life; each breath, thought and action was branded with its promise. At least now, he supposed that he had proven Totsuka's frivolous words to be truths. That done, there was nothing and no one left to for him to protect. It wasn't until he looked to Reisi that Mikoto realized how at peace he truly was.

For the man without an image to his sorrow, twin droplets of melted snow clung to his hair—making up for the tears he himself could not bring himself to relinquish. He had known that Suoh was going to do this. Even with that knowledge, its consequences dulled his judgment. He, guided by false righteousness, made the choice to not stop Suoh. He chose to not take the life of the corrupt king himself instead. It was Suoh's request to handle the killer himself and that decision was what Reisi honored. In the instant he could have swung his blade to eliminate the Colorless King, he called to Suoh otherwise. It was pointless, but his volition laid judgment on his soul. The love he had for this man as an individual had bested his knowing better. While he allowed Suoh to be himself, now _he_ was the one who had to clean up his messes yet again. Even after all this time, Munakata Reisi was still a glutton for punishment; it seemed he hadn't learned from his mistakes the first time he broke things off with Suoh. Such behaviors could mock his love as stupidity at this point.

Still, Suoh's trust and belief in him was never obstructed. He spread his arms and welcomed the demise marked for him by the one he loved. As his Sword of Damocles descended, another decision plagued Reisi. Akin to many months ago, his past came back to taunt him. Again, his obligation as King should come before all else; it was his duty and that outclassed any and all personal feelings. Donning his mask of indifference, he accoutered his righteousness and delivered it through Suoh's heart.

Harshly, the favorite scene of his most beloved movie had now been burned into a reality. In irony, he could only accomplish tears for it when it was just fiction. In that moment, the impact had shrunk his undisplayed emotions into nothingness; all he felt was devoid emptiness. Specks of snow began to fall, mingling with the reddened energy Suoh's dissolving symbol scattered in its dissipation. Quietness was all this moment it had in common with the pair. It wasn't until Suoh rested his palms to Reisi's shoulders did the weight of what was happening crossed his understanding. Even as he was dying, Suoh made certain that he embraced Reisi firmly and assuredly. Mikoto was the first to become so close to Reisi, and seemingly would be his omega. As Suoh's last words coiled in Reisi's ear, everything they had ever done together from their first meeting until just seconds ago flashed across Reisi's eyes. All the positives, negatives and instances in-between formed themselves in a silent response that bore all, as well as nothing, on Reisi's face.

They were drawn close for this last tranquil moment.

The heaviness of Suoh's body snapped Reisi out of his trance; his hands moved on their own and acted to balance the weight. Reisi unsheathed his rapier from Suoh and threw it to the ground. Amongst the blankness of the snow, a splash of red dyed it. Both hands secured Suoh and he lowered them to the frozen earth; Suoh on his back; Reisi to his knees. Without wasting much time, he lifted Suoh's shirt to the clavicle and placed 4 fingertips into the bleeding wound. One of his abilities was to deconstruct as well as recompile or fix. He could also slow things down. If he could effectively use them at once, maybe he could save Suoh somehow. He would need to withdraw the significance that made him the Red King and temporarily make him one of his own clansmen. That way, there would be some type of energy to grasp onto. He owed Suoh many years of his life and now he had clipped it.

He had no one else to converse openly with; there was no other that could make him laugh, infuse him with vibrant memories and gift him with the same amounts of bitterness as well as happiness. There would no longer be a balance. He had no "friend" nor any other worthy of his affections. With his duty carried out, all he had left was himself—a man who failed the one he loved.

OoO

Weeks had expired. Solitude painted Reisi's office in shadow and the grim. The Blue King sat slumped in his office chair, steepled fingers before his stern features and elbows atop his desk. Several emptied bowls tea were lined in rows of twos along the wooden surface. The ones more recently used were overturned without care. A large ashtray sat before the brooding man; wispy stems of smoke rose from the many disfigured and bent cigarettes that ringed the shallow container. Their consumption had also been current, but in incomplete increments. It was Suoh's most used brand anyway. Reisi never cared much for its taste, but he felt inclined to burn through them as of late.

It was already a few days after the New Year. The majority of his subordinates had either returned to their dorms or gone out for a drink together. With them absent, his loneliness rewarded him with disquieting thoughts and unblinking eyes. He had waded himself into a saturated darkness since the passing of the last collection of days. Since he had slayed Suoh, all else turned bland and fruitless. He could have just as easily continued the charade he showed his team—carrying on like all was well and what he had done took no effort. Or he could have chosen to behave another way. Yet, he didn't. It was his choice to wallow in his despair behind closed doors, drowning himself in tea and haloed by clots of smoke.

A short time earlier before the holidays, Izumo had confronted him. Since Reisi was still recovering from the impact of his last fight with Suoh, he didn't recollect the entirety of all that was verbally thrown at him. He did remember, however, being berated and ridiculed for his decision even though he and Izumo both knew of, and had prepared for, the outcome. They knew that while Izumo loved Mikoto dearly, he could never bring himself to the thought of, let alone the action of, executing him. That alone was the only thing Reisi had done in his eyes that he could appreciate. Simply, he was the one able to get the job done; he was the lone individual who could push his feelings aside just enough to do what no other would. After the exchange of words, both men deemed it best to remain distant acquaintances, although Reisi was given the offer to come by the bar should he need anything. Even if Mikoto were the reason, Reisi did not want to feel obligated and hadn't taken advantage of the offer just yet. He didn't think he ever would. He also didn't want the truthful gaze of that little girl piercing through his facades and seeing all of his innermost precious feelings towards Mikoto. It was another reason to avoid that place, but that man was the more repellant one than she was.

Repellant, huh?

Suoh used to think of him in that way. Reisi supposed he and that 'sharp-witted man' were much alike in some ways. Yet, Suoh always chose him in the end. Reisi wasn't entirely sure as to why, but had the roles been flipped and he felt it necessary to dodge Izumo to spend time with Suoh, he certainly would. A faint sound lifted from him, accompanied by a partial smirk that never showed itself. "Hmph...did you feel this way too, Suoh...?"

"Captain?" Seri's curious voice stumbled into the room. She peeked from behind the door; her liquidy eyes were rounded with concern, silently requesting to come in. With a light nod, Reisi granted her the entry. Hesitantly, a solemn conversation began.

"Will ...you be staying here late again tonight, Captain?"

"...I have not yet decided," His over-polite manner remained intact somewhat, but it didn't sound very convincing. Seri took note of it but continued on, "Have you spoken with the Gold King again?"

"Yes... As a matter of fact, he returned my call earlier."

"Was... there any news in regards to Suoh Mikoto, sir?"

"... ..." He remained tight-lipped. Being nearby to anyone else who breathed that name around him caused his stomach to tighten but he dared not show it. Each body of a King that had fallen, which weren't very many, were kept in enclosures by the 2nd King. He preserved them, in a way. Reisi was thankful that he had given Suoh some of his power or else his body would have decayed by now. From last he heard, Suoh was showing weak vital signs because his body was rejecting Munakata's "blue". At times like this, the topic of a theory that Reisi thought he understood was ultimately proven wrong. Part of the reason he hand-picked Fushimi to be his 3rd in command was to keep an eye on him and study him. The young man wielded the power of two kings and did so with miniscule trouble. He was the proof that such a thing could be done and in the event Reisi needed to, he could do the same to Suoh as an alternative to prolonging his life. The red-head had opposed the proposition when it was first explained to him, however; and now, even in "death" his rejection held fast. His stubbornness truly knew no bounds. It was almost amusing. Almost.

However, Reisi's lieutenant needed an answer, "I've heard the Silver King might reawaken soon." Reisi redirected. He was horribly changing the subject, but he felt the information regarding Suoh should remain between him, the Gold King and Suoh himself if he ever woke up. On the day of their last encounter, after the hours Reisi spent in attempts to save Suoh's life, he indirectly ended up placing him in a comatose state. Lacking the necessary medical equipment, he carried Suoh to the Gold King for observation. He had no other to turn to for aid; it was either that or carry out the remainder of his days keeping Suoh on "life support". He had already failed him once when they first parted ways. He couldn't live with himself if he allowed it to happen again.

"Captain..." The soft change in Seri's tone interrupted Reisi's thoughts and he brought his eyes to her form. It hadn't occurred to him how much they had been aimlessly groping through the darkness while his stresses invaded his consciousness, "Hmm?"

Judging by the range of blank expressions while he had been in contemplation, she had feared the worst and prepared herself to speak her feelings, "...Sir, I must be honest with you. You haven't been acting like yourself at all lately. ...You haven't done much at all these past few weeks but stare into space and kept yourself in this room. ...You've barely eaten anything and have smoked almost a pack and a half of cigarettes a day." The level of her voice started to waver unevenly and with a lack of pitch control. Her frightened tones quavered as much as her heart thrummed in her chest. Somehow, she still held her ground and divulged her honesty, "I...I understand that you are still grieving but, if you are to go down the same path as Suoh Mikoto then I..."

"That is quite enough, Awashima-kun," Reisi confirmed, pushing himself to a stand. The surprised woman watched him with large eyes as he moved across the floor almost as if he were gliding above it and stop at the door. He didn't linger, "Please lock up when you are done. I entrust the well-being of this structure to you. Good night and get back to the dorms safely."

"...But... Captain-?"

Her voice was ignored, as Munakata's brusqueness was all that he left with her.

OoO

Even on an icy night like this one, Reisi refused to go home; not yet. He wanted to avoid the memories of Suoh that would seep into every room the moment he would step through them. Dealing with his seclusion was tiresome enough; the extra burden was not needed. He ended up aimlessly wandering through the city, passing by many crowds of people in moments of happiness and glee. He felt stationary, surrounded by a blur of people and lives he could never truly be a part of as they whisked past him. A fragment of him desired to fit in—to have something jubilant to identify with like them, but there was nothing. He had nothing. Maybe he didn't want what he envied from them as badly as he thought he did.

After stopping in at least 2 different nameless bars along the way, his feet somehow led him to the crater created from the annihilation of Totsuka's killer by Suoh. Even more memories plagued him, but in his intoxicated stupor, he ignored them far more easily. Exhausted, he plopped down in the center of the crater-like depression and leaned back on his hands. The vast starry sky blessed his blurred vision with a mass of formless twinkling before blackness overtook it. Eyes shut, Reisi took in a deep breath, then laid back along the rocky contours.

He truly was alone now, wasn't he? He knew he should be thankful that Mikoto was still breathing, even if his body were fighting it. Had the Gold King not restricted him from entering the premises, Reisi would have been at Suoh's side as much as possible; watching; hoping; waiting. Suoh was the only one was able to make him forget about the importance of his duties. Even if it were only temporary, the effect held high potency enough for him to consider opposing the commandments of his rule. His kingship; his subordinates; his life. He couldn't keep up his facade much longer. He needed an outlet; contact; companionship. If he didn't get a hold of himself, he would have little reason to think himself worthy of ruling anything. What he wanted, all he needed, were one and the same and locked away in a place he could not yet reach. If he renounced his throne, would he be able to be with Suoh? But if he did that, what would become of the energy given? Would his attempts have become meaningless? He supposed Fushimi's words to him the month before were a truthful omen. Him being in a good mood, his happiness, was never a good thing after all.

"_Hey..." _

Reisi's eyes shot open, staring listlessly into the heavens; searching them.

"_...You're thinking too hard again..."_

He could hear Suoh's words speak to him even though they were miles apart. Delicately, his lips curved in the concepts of a sad smile before his vision blocked off all else yet again. As he absorbed the coldness of the night, a tepid moisture stabbed at the backs of his eyes before its bite stung like ice at its corners.

"...You're right..."

OoO

Somewhere, in an unnamed room only the Gold King knew of, Suoh Mikoto revealed his eyes once more.

"_...Reisi..."_

OoO

END

–

Curses, it's a happy ending. I didn't plan for that! *flips table* Oh well ^_^ There was originally more afterward but...after reading it over and over in conjunction with the rest of the story, it just didn't fit right. It didn't feel right at all, although it was cute. I guess. Bah! I may or may not add it anyway as an epilogue (tho, I considered this chapter to be an epilogue but I suppose that didn't happen!). We'll see. But don't get your hopes up.

Oh, the whole "thinking too much" and Reisi's response is a reference to the author of "Ask Mikorei" on Tumblr. She drew a mini-comic that had that in it so, this is a nod to her.

The "Rabbit" lol I had no idea what it could do in action, so I had to do video research. Glad I did. Before I revised that scene with the info I found out, I had the thing practically flopping around like a fish out of water in Reisi's hands lol

I had no idea Fushimi would be so fun to write! I really liked doing his interactions with Reisi. I thought of adding in mention of him rushing off to tell Yata the news about Moona n Suoh boinking the other but...that would have broken the lil guy's heart and Saru doesn't want to do that, it seems. He just teases him for attention. Besides, if he really wanted to tell Yata that, there would have been mention of it in official media or something. There were a few light hints in the show and manga that he was aware of a deep relationship between Reisi and Suoh in the past, but eh. Heee's a sharp one, that Fushi.

CONFOUNDED IZUMO! WHY DOES HE CONTINUOUSLY POP UP THROUGHOUT THIS STORY?! I MEAN, REALLY!? I had only planned on mentioning him once and that was in the first chapter! NOW LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED! He's gotten all kinds of cameos! YEESH. Lol It's funny tho. I was cool with Seri getting some screen time, however.

The "drawn close for the last tranquil moment" was a nod to part of the lyrics in the theme song Kings. I swear it's love song from Reisi to Suoh and is full of foreshadowing. Lol Seriously!

Special thanx to the songs Skyfall by Adele (thank you, my Suoh for introducing me to that song!) and [ 絕世小攻 ] (it's totally Chinese btw.). I have had it on loop for DAYS. Hahaha Skyfall helped for the obvious parts... ;_;

I hope nothing seemed too weird. I've read this chapter nearly 40 times so it probably came out sounding "thicker" than I originally intended. Dah well. So, what did you think? Gimmie some feedback! What was your most favorite and least favorite part(s)?

-Mel


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